


A Stardew Story: Autumn, Year 1

by TheMerryPanda



Series: A Stardew Story [3]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Diary/Journal, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 34,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22103620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMerryPanda/pseuds/TheMerryPanda
Summary: Generic farmer Taylor’s last growing season.Season Highlights: First completed Community Center room (Ch 13), visit Calico Desert (Ch 14), Stardew Valley Fair (Ch 16), and Spirit’s Eve (Ch 27).Heart Events: Leah (Ch 3), Penny (Ch 4), Emily (Ch 6), Elliott (Ch 7), Maru (Ch 9), Linus (Ch 10), Sam (Ch 11), Sebastian (Ch 12), Abigail (Ch 17), Shane (Ch 20), Alex (Ch 22), Gus (Ch 23), Robin (Ch 25), and Haley (Ch 26).
Series: A Stardew Story [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518944
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. An Ancestral Shrine

**Monday, Fall 1 Year 1:**

Autumn welcomed me with a fresh, brisk air that again made me grateful I left smoggy Zuzu City. The leaves on trees began to change colors. I’m looking forward to peak foliage season, which should arrive in a couple weeks in time for the Stardew Valley Fair. According to Lewis, the previous mayor strategically selected Fall 16th for the fair because that was around when the leaves became most brilliantly colored, and it brought more guests from outside Pelican Town to the fair.

The first thing I noticed when I checked my empty mailbox was that my pomegranate tree is now fully grown and had a single pomegranate hanging from its branches. This is going to be a good season, I concluded as I picked it.

My morning was spent clearing out weeds and hoeing the ground. It filled the time while I waited for Pierre’s general store to open. Once it did open, I once again bought a bunch of everything, even more seeds that I bought in the summer, much to Pierre’s great pleasure. I also decided to give the dozens of mixed seeds I collected over the past two seasons a try.

All afternoon, I fertilized, planted, and watered it all. Boy, I was exhausted when I finished late today. I do not regret stopping in the middle of what was left in the heat of the day to rejuvenate at the bath house. I was able to find a couple of new foragables while I was out.

My parents called this evening as well. They inquired if I had Grandpa’s shrine, which I had found weeks ago at the northwest corner of the farm. This was where Grandpa was buried, I remembered vaguely from his funeral years ago. I decided that I want to spend the winter in which I’ll have much less to do, to clear out that area and better organize and arrange my farm.

What I didn’t tell them about was the strange note I found at the shrine:

_Taylor -_

_Wait for my return on the dawn of your third year._

_~ Grandpa_

I eventually shrugged it off as a sick old prank after wondering if Grandpa faked his death, followed by determining the idea to be highly unlikely. The funeral was open casket, and I saw his pale, lifeless figure there. It’s kind of difficult to recover from that.


	2. Poppy Fields

**Tuesday, Fall 2 Year 1:**

First thing this morning, I swung by Jodi’s to share with her some blueberries from the last season. Sam was in his room playing what sounded like a cover of a Rush song on his bass guitar. Vincent was in the living room, playing with toys before he would leave for the library for schooling.

Apparently her family hadn’t been in Pelican Town forever. They moved in a few years ago, just before her husband left for military service. Consequently, it made me, and not my Grandpa, the first farmer she met.

“I hadn’t expected you to look so much like the city girl you did last spring.” Jodi explained. I had mentioned that she had said I wasn’t what she expected in a farmer the first time we met. “You’ve changed since then. You look happier.”

I smiled. “I am happier, thank you.”

“That’s wonderful!”

Vincent came in tugged at my jeans. “Miss Taylor?”

“Yes, Vincent?”

“Do you have a poppy flower? Sam told me they’re Penny’s favorite, and I want her to have a happy birthday at school today.”

I thought for a moment. “I may have some left from the summer. I can go check and see, and if I have one, I can bring it to her.”

Vincent grinned. “That would be great! Thank you!”

Jodi checked the clock. “Oh dear, it’s 9:00 already? Alright, Vincent, time for you to go to school.”

“Aww…” Vincent groaned, but he left the house anyway. Jodi also began to take off.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Aerobics class.” She replied.

“Oh, yeah, it’s Tuesday.”

Jodi nodded. “You’re welcome to join me. Exercise is important for staying healthy. I always make sure to set aside some time for it. As a parent, I don’t have much time to devote to myself, so I try and make every minute count.”

I declined the offer. “I’m exhausted enough working on the farm. Maybe if I get more things automated like sprinklers, I’ll think about it some more.”

Jodi smiled. “It’ll be great to see you there.”

And like that, she was gone. I was surprised she didn’t ask me to leave the home, but then the screech of the guitar in the next room reminded me that Sam was there.

Before leaving for my farm to retrieve a melon, I spotted a letter in the main room. It had Penny’s neat penmanship.

_\-- Report Card --_

_Name: Vincent_

_Reading: C_

_Spelling: D_

_Math: C_

_Social Studies: B-_

_Art: B-_

_Sports: A_

_Note: Vince is a good boy, but he could make do with a little more studying!_

_~ Penny_

I suddenly heard the door to Sam’s room open, and like that I was out of the house in a flash. Personally, I’d feel surprised and awkward if I left my bedroom to find a non-family member to be the only other person in the house.

I fished in a chest I built and left in a cooler (semi-refrigerated) section of the house, and sure enough, found a couple poppies in there. I also decided to take some grapes for Vincent and Jas. Determining that it would be best to wait until they are outside of the library for a recess, I searched for new forageables like hazelnuts in the Cindersap Forest, and then at the beach, while I waited for Penny’s class to finish.

Finally, at about 2 PM, Penny, Vincent, and Jas left the library. Penny stood near the bridge while the kids played tag in the grass. Vincent looked up to see me before I could say hi to Penny.

“Farmer Taylor!” Vincent shouted. “Did you find one?”

“Find what?” Jas and Penny asked.

“I did.” I replied. I took the orange poppy from behind my back and held it out to Penny. “Happy birthday, Penny! From the three of us.”

Penny gasped happily and accepted the flower. “Thank you! I really love this!”

Vincent and Jas tackled Penny for a hug and sang happy birthday to her. They turn resumed playing tag again.

“I’m pleasantly surprised that you have poppies.” Penny commented. “I seem to be the only one who likes them in this town.”

She was telling me. Not even Granny Evelyn liked them, which I learned the hard way early in the summer.

“You can thank Vincent for the suggestion, and I think he got the idea from Sam.” Penny blushed mildly. “The kids are fun.”

“Yeah…” she sighed. “They’re a handful, but it’s nice to make a difference in someone’s life.”

I nodded. I couldn’t teach like my dad does in the city, but I had nothing but respect for good teachers like him and Penny.

I noticed a wistful, sad look on her face. “Are you doing alright, Penny?”

She nodded. “I could be better. I’m trying to save money from my tutoring job, but it’s hard with my mother out of work.”

Oh. I wasn’t sure what to say for a minute. “What did your mom use to do for work?”

“My mother used to drive the bus to Calico Desert, but the bus stopped working a few years ago. Mayor says there’s not enough money in the town coffers, or else he’d have it fixed.”

“Well… that’s unfortunate.” I finally replied. “I hope things pick up.”

Penny sighed. “Me too.”


	3. The Trouble With Exes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah’s 4 Heart Event

**Wednesday, Fall 3 Year 1:**

Marnie mailed me a letter requesting a crop I was already growing at least nine of.

_Dear Taylor,_

_I’d like to give my cows a special treat. They’re such good girls and hungry, too. Could you bring me one bunch of amaranth? They love the stuff._

_Thanks, Dear._

_~ Marnie_

Unfortunately, my amaranth crops still needed five more days before they are ready to harvest. I wanted some isolation this morning, so instead of fishing along the river, I slayed some slimes in the Secret Woods, then fished in the little pond there. I was proud of the couple woodskips I found; I wanted to see if I could find every type of fish here in the valley. I also found a few lumps of driftwood and remembered that Leah needed more of it. She apparently has been having a pretty good sculpting frenzy over the last couple days.

First I foraged in the forest for some hazelnuts and other foodstuffs, then ran over to Leah’s. I was about to knock at her door when I heard her shouting from inside.

“Kel… how many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to come back to the city! Stop calling me. I don’t want to hear from you anymore!”

I heard the slam of an old-fashioned corded landline phone when she hung up, followed by a groan in frustration. After giving her about ten seconds to relax, I knocked.

“Hey, Leah. I found some more driftwood. Would you like it for your sculptures?”

She came to the door, and opened it. “Taylor…” She was surprised to see me, but thanked me as she welcomed me in to place the wood in a small woodpile by some sculptures in the making. “So I guess you heard me yelling on the phone?”

“Yeah… sorry. Are you alright?”

She sighed. “That was my ex…”

Oh. So no. Poor Leah.

“I guess I’d better tell you a little about it…” Leah continued while she stared out a window.

“You don’t have to, if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“It doesn’t.” She assured me. “Talking about it helps me recover when the past tries to catch up to me. We had an apartment together, back in the city. I did odd jobs during the day and spent all night working on art projects. We barely made enough to scrape by. She was always nagging me to go back to school and study business or medicine, something with a lot of money in it. I guess the idea was to save up for a normal life. You know… a house in the suburbs, kids, PTA meetings, that sort of thing.” She sighed then turned back to me. “I wasn’t ready for that kind of life, Taylor… I had to leave. So I came here to pursue my dream of being an artist.”

I remembered one of our previous conversations when we realized we both came to Pelican Town to escape an aspect of our old lives. I now knew what she was trying to escape.

“Was that selfish of me, Taylor?” she asked.

I didn’t think so; the situation seemed similar to my story with my own ex. While my ex didn’t care enough for my basic wants, Kel wasn’t acknowledging Leah’s. Fortunately for me, my ex hasn’t bothered to hunt me down over the past five years, and according to what I’ve heard, karma served more than enough justice.

“No, it had to be done.” I answered. “It’s better to be on your own than in an unfulfilling relationship.”

“You’re right…” she agreed, glancing away again. “I just wouldn’t have been happy back there. We had different priorities; it was better for both of us to end an unsustainable relationship while we were still young and flexible.”

Leah looked content with her decision and my validation of it. “Anyway… I’ve been thinking a little more about that art show idea you had. I’m working on some new sculptures to display at the show. I’m nervous, but the thought of getting my work out there is pretty exciting.”

She turned to me with a smile on her face. “I’m just glad you’re on board with making Stardew Valley a premier art destination, Taylor!”

“Of course.” I smiled. Perhaps I should commission her for a piece. My only problem is that, being a minimalist, I had no idea what I would want.


	4. Working Hard (and Hardly Working)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny’s 4 Heart Event

**Thursday, Fall 4 Year 1:**

I think the forest juice Wizard Rasmodius gave me last spring allowed me to talk to fish too. That was a disturbing revelation. Even weirder, the sturgeon in my fish pond requested a diamond. Like, what is a fish going to do with a diamond? I wasn’t lucky enough to find one today, and the one I found last season I instead donated to the museum.

Dwarf had an unusually large stock today. I made the mistake of commenting on it.

“I got all this stuff from the surface.” Dwarf replied. “I just take it from your people during the night.” I must have had a funny look on my face, because Dwarf acknowledged it. “Hmm?”

“Isn’t that… stealing? That’s those people’s private property.”

“What is this concept you call ‘private property’?”

“Do you not have individual possessions for each dwarf?”

“Yes, but anything that isn’t kept under lock and key is up for grabs. It’s why Dwarven territories are much cleaner than any other people; whatever is free belongs to the people, and is used to profit for the first to take it.”

Now the Dwarven people were reminding me more of Star Trek’s Ferengi and their Rules of Acquisition than Star Wars’s jawas. Perhaps it was this Dwarven culture that inspired those fictional cultures.

I explained to Dwarf that due to human’s forgetfulness and trust in their community it is more of a courtesy to leave something out for its owner to find again, but similarly to dwarves, larger cities of humans are less inclined to be so courteous. We had to settle for agreeing to disagree on whether Dwarf’s actions were acceptable.

It was a less busy weekday, so instead of visiting people in the saloon, I decided to pay a visit to Penny and bring her a melon. I was under the impression that she’s a busy and hard worker, and I learned that impression was correct.

She had just muttered to herself, “ugh… it’s so dirty in here” when I knocked on the door to her trailer. She seemed surprised to see me. “Taylor! Um…” she shyly skirted her eyes around the main room. “Sorry that it’s such a mess. I was about to clean up.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Eh, my house has seen worse days. It happens. Would you like any help?”

“You’ll help me? You really mean it?” I nodded. Penny smiled. “Okay, you can get started over there.” She pointed to the living room area, towards the couch that also served as Pam’s bed. “I’ll clean the kitchen.”

I started picking up some clothes, a hat and a shirt, while Penny washed some dishes used for dinner earlier that evening.

“Where would you like me to put these?” I asked, raising them above my head.

“Just lay them out on the dining booth chair for now.” She called out over the sound of running water. “I’ll put them in a laundry basket later.”

“Okay.” I walked over to the dining booth, and Penny finished her last dish, when Pam came home. She looked angry.

“Whaddya think you’re doing?! Stop it! I had everything just the way I like it!”

Awkwardly, I dropped the clothes on the seat. Penny walked up to her mom disappointedly. “Mom, the house is a total mess. Taylor and I were just trying to tidy things up a bit.” She sniffed. “Were you at the saloon just now? You smell like beer…”

This didn’t help Pam’s mood. “It’s none of your damn business where I go!”

“It IS my business! I don’t want you destroying yourself! Don’t you realize your choices have an effect on me? Stop being so selfish!”

“Selfish?” Pam growled. “I put a roof over your head and clothes on your back and you call me selfish?! You ungrateful little…”

This whole time I was nervously and awkwardly standing in the main room. I slowly shuffled towards the wall, itching for the front door. I felt worse when they both turned to me.

“You’d better go. I’m sorry you had to see this, kid.”

Grateful for the permission to leave, I gave a slight wave goodbye to Penny, and left without a word. I hope she isn’t in deep trouble because of me. I lingered by the trailer for a minute in case I heard screaming again, but Pam continued in a calmer, less angry voice that I could barely hear.

“She’s a nice young lady,” Pam had said about me, “but I don’t want you tellin’ others to clean up my house. It’s embarrassing! You understand?”

“…Yes, mother.” Penny sighed sadly and with a hint of frustration.


	5. To Be And Not To Be

**Friday, Fall 5 Year 1:**

Penny mailed me a letter.

_Sorry about what happened at my place yesterday... My mom can get into bad moods sometimes. Please just forget it happened._

_~ Penny_

I still visited with her briefly in the library just before tutoring Jas and Vincent. She made no mention of the last night, but seemed alright. Apparently fall is usually a sad season for she and her mother anyway. She didn’t have time to explain why, as that was when the kids entered the library.

I left her to her teaching while I picked out a book from the bookshelves to read for an hour. It had been too long since I had the time to read for an extended period of time. The book selection was smaller than that of Zuzu City’s downtown library, but I couldn’t say it was deficient either. Depressingly, it was better than my high school’s “library”, which was more of a computer hall than a library.

Finally I settled on a Shakespeare classic: _Hamlet_. This was one of my favorite plays, and for some extra credit back in the high school days, I memorized Hamlet’s soliloquy. How much of it have I retained since then?

To give Penny’s class some privacy while I tested myself, I ducked into the museum section, still void of people as I hoped, but now filled with dozens of rocks, fossils, and ancient artifacts I’ve found since spring. I picked the nearest room corner, sat down on a stool, and began to recite to myself, eyes closed:

“ _To be, or not to be? That is the question –_

_Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer_

_The slings and arrows of misfortune_

_Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,_

_And, by opposing, end them?_

_… To die, to sleep._

_To sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there’s the rub,_

_For in that sleep of death where dreams may come_

_When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,_

_Must give us pause._ ”

This part, about halfway through, was where I frequently got stuck in my attempts to memorize the soliloquy, and I got stuck at it again today, quiet for several seconds. Before I could glance back down at the book for the next line, another voice picked up where I left off.

“ _…There’s the respect_

_That makes calamity of so long life._

_For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,_

_Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,_

_The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,_

_The insolence of office, and the spurns_

_That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,_

_…_

_And enterprises of great pitch and moment_

_With this regard their currents turn awry,_

_And lose the name of action._ ”

At first, I felt embarrassed that Elliott caught me rehearsing to myself, but that embarrassment faded away as I listened to him recite the remainder of the soliloquy. His voice was soothing, and yet carried the great passion I imagined an actor would use when playing this role. It was mesmerizing, and if I hadn’t snapped myself out of my daze, I probably would have remained in it for a good several minutes.

“Good afternoon, Taylor.” Elliott greeted.

“Hi.”

“You didn’t strike me as someone who could recite Shakespeare. You were marvelous.”

My cheeks burned pink. “Thank you. I learned it back in high school, once upon a time. An easy extra credit opportunity, once I solidified that line in the middle about…” I glanced down to the page in my book, “the respect that makes calamity of so long life.”

Elliott grinned brightly. “Hamlet is certainly an interesting character. A man whose hesitation led to his own demise.”

I nodded in agreement. “That trait would have spared him heartache in _Othello_. Iago preyed on Othello’s trust and directness. He’s probably Shakespeare’s best-written villain.”

“Without contest! He probably would have gotten away with everything if it wasn’t for his wife Emilia.”

“Emilia is interesting. I had a friend suggest for me to rewrite the story so it’s told from her point of view, and through that I discovered that from any character’s point of view outside of Iago’s, it made for an interesting mystery plot. It probably would be even more convoluted if Iago tells his story as an unreliable narrator rather than being so open about his distaste for Othello.”

“Hmm… that is a thought-provoking take.” Elliott pondered. “I’m going to keep this in mind while I write. A great idea can pass through your head when you least expect it, but if your mind is too busy you might miss it.” He pulled out a notebook from the inner pocket of his tailcoat and wrote a note before placing it back in his pocket. “Well, I really must get back to my work. Thank you for the chat, Taylor.”

He began to take off. Suddenly, I remembered that it was his birthday today. “Elliott, wait!” He froze and quickly turned on his heels.

“Yes?”

“One second.” I dug through my backpack searching for anything that he might like as a gift. Unfortunately, I had planned on fishing upstream for the remainder of the day, and so I didn’t have much for means of food, save for a single pomegranate. It pained me slightly to not have it to look forward to tonight, but I had already eaten two of the five that grew on the tree over the last few days. “Do you like pomegranates?” I inquired.

“I love them! They’re my favorite fruit. Why do you ask?”

“Perfect.” I extended my pomegranate to him. “Happy birthday!”

Carefully, Elliott took it. “It’s beautiful. Thank you! I shall enjoy this with a salad tonight.” He smiled. “I hope you have a splendid evening, Miss Taylor.”

“You as well, Mr. Elliott.”

He took off. It was then I realized that besides Gunther, I was the only one left in the library. I bade Gunther a good day before I found an isolated place to fish in the river north of the JojaMart. I caught a few normal fish, but at one point, some powerful fish bit and the force of it successfully tugging the bait from the fishhook nearly led me into the water. Was this one of the more challenging fish in the valley? I would have to read up on it, and maybe consult Willy for a better tackle.


	6. Parrot Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily’s 4 Heart Event

**Saturday, Fall 6 Year 1:**

After yesterday night at the bar, Emily told me she had something to show me the next day. Despite the rain and mild lightning, I swung by with a white quartz and a sunflower. Haley greeted me and let me in, her expression neutral until she smiled when I handed her the sunflower.

“Nice shoes.” She commented.

I didn’t remember what I was wearing, so I looked down to look at what I wore. They were some blue boots I found in the mines. “Thanks.”

“Are those made of plastic?”

“I don’t think so, but I couldn’t tell you want they were made of.”

Haley proceeded to stoop down and tap on a clean part of the shoe. “Ah, rubber.” she muttered. She then shot back up to her full height, a slightly unimpressed look on her face. “I’m bored…”

I shrugged. I knew she wasn’t fond of the rain. “Is Emily here?”

“Over here!” Emily shouted from the next room over. I waved to Haley as she departed for her bedroom, then found Emily in her sewing room working on a mint green dress.

“Did you want to show me this?” I asked.

“Oh no!” she replied. “This is for a project I’m working on. What I have to show you is in my room.” Emily got up and led me into her bedroom. “I want you to meet my new friend.”

On a wooden perch behind a crafting table stood a colorful parrot with one bandaged wing in a makeshift sling.

“He crashed into the front window yesterday morning, the poor thing! His wing is broken, so I have him here so he can heal.”

The parrot let me stroke some feathers down his neck. “What is his name?” I asked.

“I haven’t given him one,” she replied. “I think of it as a token of respect, so when he heals, he can take off and be free with his flock again.”

Very sweet of her, I thought. The parrot squawked for Emily, and she responded in turn by handing him some bird seed. “He was late following behind his flock.” Emily then faced him and talked with him. “You’re a bit different than the others, aren’t you? Just like me…”

The parrot spread its other wing and jumped on its perch, giving a worried squawk. Emily brought a small bowl of water up to him to drink.

“Don’t worry. I’ll nurse you back to health, little one. Everything will be alright.”

She set the bowl back down on a small table next to the perch, next to a pouch of bird seed. Emily seemed optimistic that someday, the bird would be able to reach for the things himself.

“Hey, Taylor, have you ever been to the Calico Desert?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a shame. If the buses were running, I’d happily visit. My friend runs a shop in the desert. If you ever go there, stop in and say hi for me. I think she sells some rare products.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What’s her name?”

“Cassandra, but she goes by Sandy.”

“Cool.”

The rest of the afternoon I spent fishing, at first by the river where I found some walleyes. When I heard the lighting coming closer to the town, I ducked into the library for more information on fish, which ones would be more profitable in fishing ponds. (Gunther recommended to me a fishing encyclopedia.) Towards sundown when the thunder had long passed, I accompanied Willy fishing in the sea until I exhausted myself. I made it home with a decent haul of eels and sea cucumbers. I decided to save one purple super cucumber for a new fishing pond.


	7. A Toast To New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott’s 4 Heart Event

**Sunday, Fall 7 Year 1:**

It felt like an unusually long day mining (and following after a crazy suggestion in yesterday’s fish encyclopedia to fish in the lakes in the mines, to no avail), so I decided to go to the Stardrop Saloon to unwind. I had been hoping to spend my time relatively alone, minimal conversing, while I ate whatever special Gus was making that day for my late dinner.

I walked up to the counter and sat at one of the bar stools. “Hey, Gus.” I called out to the bartender.

Gus came over with a pan of vegetables he was sautéing over a burner. “Hi. I’ll take your order in a few moments.” He scooped the vegetable medley onto a plate.

“No rush.” I understood how busy it can be serving so many customers at once, so I wasn’t at all concerned for Gus. It allowed me time to relax and listen to the music from the jukebox. It reminded me of those old Western movies, so that was fun.

Maybe when I get more money, I could buy a bunch of animals and become a rancher instead of a farmer, I thought to myself, jokingly. Ah, if only I could cut and store enough hay for the upcoming winter to do so. The problem wasn’t having enough room for the hay; it was getting enough from the grass that grows. Currently I’m letting it grow out so as much of it can spread and multiply as possible to make that happen, cutting some down occasionally when some got too close to the crops.

My train of thought was interrupted when I heard the front door open. The saloon had seemed plenty busy tonight, so I thought I would be the latest customer. I opened my eyes, turned to the door, and saw Elliott coming in. He noticed me, smiled widely, and walked over.

“Hey, Elliott.” I said as he sat next to me.

“Hello, Taylor! What a pleasant surprise! I was just stopping in to relax after an eight hour writing session.”

Good on him. The most I could write at once is two, maybe three hours. “Nice job! I’m here after a long day of farming and fishing in the mountains myself.” I’ve learned to intentionally leave out the mining bit of my day, except for when I was with Marlon and Gil in the Adventurer’s Guild or around Sebastian and Maru. More of their favorite gifts came from the mines, and Sebastian especially didn’t seem as concerned about me going down there.

“Perhaps a small celebration is in order.” Elliott beamed and turned to Gus. “Bartender! Fetch me your finest ale. And bring some wine for the lady.”

My face flushed. Gus just barely finished the other orders he was on when Elliott made his request, and I could tell he would have liked a couple minutes of a break. Mostly, I felt a little self-conscious letting Elliott buy for me. I wasn’t used to friends buying things for me, I guess. Before I came to Stardew Valley, I seldom visited bars because I didn’t feel comfortable going in one alone, and I was usually alone if I had the time and money to do something recreational after work. Here, it was different. I liked the environment and frequent customers of the Stardrop Saloon, and felt I could actually relax there without risking getting robbed or hurt.

Gus returned with a beer glass full of ale from the tap and a wine glass with wine from a recently opened bottle, and he passed them both to Elliott. “There you go, sir.”

“Thanks, Gus.” I replied. Elliott passed the wine glass to me. “And thank you.”

I nearly lifted the glass to my lips when Elliott stopped me. “Wait. I propose a toast! To…” he got lost in thought.

“To our friendship?” I suggested.

He grinned. “That’s a great idea! Here’s to us!”

We chinked glasses and drank up. Already my head was feeling lighter.

“Oh, that was a mistake.” I muttered as I placed my hand on my head. “Should have ordered dinner first.”

Emily was close enough to hear me and quickly scooped up a vegetable medley. I made sure to tip her when she brought it over. Then Gus noticed my empty glass and filled it without asking. As if I wasn’t already going to be embarrassingly drunk tonight.

Elliott set down his ale at about half-empty. Gus went on to refill his ale as well. “So Taylor, tell me more about yourself. What fabulous life did you hold before you came to this humble valley?”

“Heh,” I scoffed. “It was anything but fabulous.” Okay, Taylor, slow down. No need to spill all the beans, especially at once. “I grew up in the Burbs in Zuzu City. Got an engineering degree from Zuzu Uni.”

Elliott’s eyes widened. “How long ago did you graduate?”

“Two and a half years ago now.”

“Hey, I was starting at their law school at the time!”

What? “No way!” I quieted my voice and diminished my excitement before continuing. “We probably never crossed paths, though. The law building is on the other side of campus in respect to the engineering building.”

“Ah, but not too far from the language arts building.”

“What did you study before law?”

“I double-majored in English and psychology.”

Oh, duh. I could have guessed the English major. “So English was to acquaint yourself with more literature and improve your writing… but what made you study psychology?”

“I wanted to better understand how people think. It helped with creating more relatable and believable characters.”

“That makes sense.” I paused to take a bite of tomato. “What made you go into law school?”

“It was my father’s idea.” Elliott sipped at his ale. “He thought I would make a good lawyer, sorting through paperwork, researching various laws like I would various topics I would write short stories about.”

“That sounds boring.” I said with a bluntness I normally didn’t use. I worried that Elliott might be offended by it, but he didn’t seem to be.

“It was.” He agreed. “That’s why I dropped out a year and a half ago and moved out here. Father wasn’t pleased. He still won’t talk to me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear.”

He shrugged. “Well, at least I’m happier with my work. I believe I have a more solidified idea of how I want my novel to end.”

“Care to share?”

“And spoil the book so soon? No way!”

I laughed. “Okay, okay,” I uttered in mock disappointment.

I finished off my vegetable medley, and we both finished off our beverages. After downing his ale, Elliott got a mild case of hiccups. “Strong stuff,” he commented.

“Hey, you’re a lightweight too.” I teased.

Elliott gasped in mock surprise. “Me? A lightweight? That’s absurd!”

The jukebox began to play a more lively and folksy tune. Elliott got up out of his seat and began a goofy dance. I laughed when he misstepped and fell flat on his back. I made the mistake of helping him back up to his feet, because then he took my hands, pulled me off of my seat, and led us in the clumsiest swing dance you’ve ever seen. It had been years since I last attended a country-swing dance class, and it was challenging following after Elliott’s tipsy moves, but we managed, and I had a blast. It had been too long since I had that good of a laugh.

“Alright you too,” Gus came over, sitting us back down. “Time to settle down, or I’ll have to escort you home.”

I cannot recall what happened after that point, but at the end of the night when I began to sober up, Willy escorted Elliott to his cabin, and Gus escorted me to the farm while Emily tended to the remaining customers for the last call for alcohol and closing.

“Did I ruin tonight, Gus?” I asked him.

Gus chuckled lightly. “It’s been a long time since we had customers get that boisterous. Granted, the last time was years ago, and Pierre tried to brawl with Morris, the JojaMart manager. Morris hasn’t brought his sorry face back here since. I’ll take a couple hyenas laughing their heads off at nothing over a fight any day, easy.”

“Thanks Gus.” I groaned. “Did I embarrass myself too much?”

“Only if you consider flipping off the “good” name of Joja with Elliott and Shane embarrassing.”

Shane? Hating on his workplace? And with me? If only I could remember it. I still haven’t quite figured out how to converse with him.

“Eh, could have been worse.” I shrugged.

“I’ll give you one thing, farmer: I didn’t know you could be such a conversationalist!” Gus commented.

“Me neither.” I hiccuped. “There’s a reason why I usually avoid alcohol.”

“I’ll remember to limit you to one glass a night until you can hold your liquor.”

“Thanks. I don’t want any broken furniture after one of my drunk spells.”

“Well, there was one chair I worried you might break…”

Drats.


	8. Blackberry Season

**Monday, Fall 8 Year 1:**

The hangover was killer, but thankfully soothed sooner by the water I drank last night and this morning. No more alcohol until winter, I told myself regretfully.

Thankfully, blackberry season is ringing in strong, which gave me a low-skill activity to do while I sobered up for the rest of the day. Thanks to Linus’s letter (sent in with a sashimi recipe), I was notified of the season.

_Hello,_

_It’s blackberry season right now. The bushes are full of them. I want to pick some, but I lost my basket. Can you help?_

_~ Linus_

I resolved to search for the basket while I foraged for blackberries.

The first of the amaranth was full-grown today, which was good news for Marnie. I found her on her way to grocery shop at Pierre’s, and I handed her the amaranth bundle. She recognized my quest immediately.

“Oh, the amaranth I asked for! Thank you so much… my cows are going to love this!”

She paid me 500g and I went on my way. I didn’t need anything from Pierre’s at the time, but I did make sure to check the noticeboard. Lewis put up a help wanted notice asking for ten slimes to be eliminated. I wasn’t interested in hunting for them in the mines, so I decided to slay the ones in the Secret Woods. There were six in there today.

Once they were gone, I spent all day scouring the Cindersap Forest for blackberries and foraging other goods. I found twice as many blackberries as I did salmonberries last spring, but no sign of Linus’s basket. I searched through town and still no luck. Finally, after looking through the mountain pass, I looked down towards the bus stop and I found a basket below me, near the tunnel leading out of the valley.

I made it to Linus and his tent towards sundown, and found him hovering by his campfire. I held out the basket towards him.

“I got your letter this morning. I’m sorry it took so long, Linus, but I found it. It was past the bus stop in the backwoods.”

Linus gaped in relief. “My basket! Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

I took off for home before he could realize I left a few dozen of the berries I found in his basket. I figured he’d appreciate some gain after losing all day today to harvest blackberries.


	9. No Free Samples

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru’s 4 Heart Event

**Tuesday, Fall 9 Year 1:**

I knew Maru was going to be working in the clinic that morning. She mentioned the other day that she was getting sick of preparing samples, between her father’s soil research and Harvey’s tests, so I thought I would surprise her with an ear of corn I harvested this morning.

I had hoped that since my annual checkup was pushed out of the way, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything related to the doctor’s office. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

Maru must have been lost in thought or something, because when I opened the door to the clinic, she jumped in surprise.

“Agh!” She yelped. Before either of us registered it, a sample she was working on fell to the floor and a test tube shattered with its contents. I tried not to think of what the contents could be.

“Oh no… the whole sample is ruined. Harvey’s going to kill me.” She looked around for something, then to me. “Taylor, what should I do?”

“Clean it up! And tell him it was an accident. If it makes you feel any better, Harvey doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would get too angry over a mistake.”

Maru sighed. “You’re right. I should just tell him the truth.”

Not long after she said that, Harvey opened the door into the lobby. “What happened?” he asked. “I heard something break.”

“I accidentally dropped one of the samples…” Maru confessed right away. “I’m so sorry.”

Harvey shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks for telling me the truth, Maru. Don’t worry about the sample; we’ll just get another one.”

The two made eye contact, and Harvey smiled to let her know she is still in good standing. Maru looked relieved. “Thanks for being patient with me, Doctor Harvey.”

“Of course. You’ve been a big help around here. I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

She beamed, grateful for the compliment. Harvey then turned to me, looking at me strangely.

“Taylor? You look a little pale… are you feeling okay?”

“I just need some air is all.” I replied as I swiftly left the clinic. I didn’t feel comfortable with the ruined sample and glass on the floor, so I left to escape it and sat under the tree right next to the clinic. Maru had gotten a broom and swept up the mess while Harvey came out and visited me.

“If it’s something serious, Taylor, you really should stay in the clinic.”

“I just wasn’t feeling comfortable.” I protested. “Just give me a couple minutes out here in nature and I’ll be fine.”

Something clicked in Harvey’s brain. “Does this have to do with hospitals making you nervous?”

I nodded weakly. “It’s nothing against you. Anything that has to do with… that…” I gestured aimlessly. “Just. Nope. I can’t.” Even if I wanted to go to medical school, I wouldn’t make it past the first anatomy lab. Thankfully, farming is now an option.

After asking first, Harvey placed the back of his hand against my forehead to check my temperature, then found my radial artery in my wrist to check my pulse, which had nearly returned to normal. “Well, you seem fine, and you’re not as pale now as you were in the clinic…” he concluded. “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded.

“You should be okay then.”

I was grateful he didn’t make too big of a deal of some minor queasiness. “Thanks, doc.”

I got up, then went south towards Cindersap Forest while Harvey returned to the clinic. I then foraged for blackberries, until I felt strong enough to slay some more slimes in the Secret Woods. I found five today, and it was enough to meet Lewis’s noticeboard request.

I entered his manor to find him, but he wasn’t there. I glanced at a calendar and he had marked down a doctor’s appointment today. I must have missed him on my way to the forest.

Then because I’m overly curious, I went into his bedroom to look for the blanket with a blowup of his face on it that Sam mentioned last summer. He must have hidden it in a drawer or something, because I didn’t see it right away. However, I did see a letter dated yesterday on top of a dresser and under a mug, which judging by the smell used to have green tea.

_Won’t you come by tomorrow night?_

_If you come through the back window no one will notice._

_I’d like to see you more often._

_I know you’re busy but can’t you make time for me?_

_I hope to see you tomorrow._

_~ M_

The ‘M’ mystery was not very much of one after finding his lucky underpants last season, and also considering that besides Maru, the only other person in town whose name began with M was Marnie’s. I decided to fish along the river to wait for Lewis to finish his appointment.

The first person out the clinic doors was Maru. She found me after work, and she expressed the same concerns that Harvey did, dismissing them sooner when she realized it only boiled down to my own discomfort with anything involving bodily fluids.

“It helps to get away from it all, especially being outside.”

“I can understand. Whenever I’m struggling with a technical problem, I always take a walk. It’s surprising how much a change of scenery can help.”

I groaned jokingly. “Uh, that reminds me of my university days.”

“Did you do that to figure out more difficult homework problems?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t always work.”

Maru laughed. “Well, at least the trees look beautiful today.”

“This is true. It’s one of the things I enjoy about the valley. A much better scenery than the smoggy concrete jungle.”

We watched a leaf fall from a tree nearby, and I tried and failed to catch it before it reached the ground. Maru snickered a little, then started off towards the mountains.

“Well, I better get going and help Mom with dinner. It’s spaghetti and bean hotpot night, my parents’ favorite.”

“Take care.” I waved goodbye. When Maru was gone, I spotted Mayor Lewis finally leaving the clinic. Instead of heading for the saloon or his home, he started off towards the Cindersap Forest. I ran and caught up to him.

“Mayor Lewis!” I called to him.

“Ah, Taylor!” He waited for me to run up beside him. Last spring the sprint would have left me out of breath, but today I was able to slow my breathing to normal pretty quickly. It felt good to be in better shape.

“I saw your help wanted notice yesterday…”

“So you helped us with our slime problem?”

I nodded.

Lewis grinned and pulled out his wallet. “Thank you! I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble… I know it can be really hard to get that sticky slime out your clothes.”

I shrugged. “Thankfully, laundry detergents have improved over the past couple decades. And even if I can’t get this out, these are expendable work pants anyway.”

Lewis nodded. “I’ve definitely ruined a few good pairs of pants trying to catch those little wrigglers. I can remember Mama going into a rage after I got blood red slime all over my brand new silk dress pants. Well, anyways… enjoy your reward.”

He gave me 600g, then we both continued the walk to the forest.

“I hope things are going well for you on the farm.”

“They are.” I confirmed. “I hope things are going well for you as mayor.”

“Indeed, things are well.” Lewis nodded. “It was around this time of year when I first became Mayor, over twenty years ago. That makes me feel really old.”

“Maybe it’s because you are really old, Lewis.”

Lewis snorted. “That sounds like something your old man would say.”

I smiled. As obnoxious as Lewis was, I appreciated the snippets of stories he would occasionally share about Grandpa.

I walked with him up to the front door of Marnie’s ranch, at which he began to hang back. I started off towards the large tree by the lake to forage more blackberries, then decided to make Lewis sweat a little.

“Where are you going Lewis?”

“Uh…” he looked about himself. “I’m just here to make sure all of Marnie’s business needs are met.”

Uh huh, sure. It was already barely after hours. “Okay. See you around, Lewis.”

“Bye, Taylor.”

I took a few steps and muttered to myself. “It sure would be nice to have those lucky shorts now, eh Lewis?”

“What was that?” Judging by the curious tone of his voice, he only heard his name from my mutterings.

“Nothing!”

Lewis waited for me to disappear farther into the forest before knocking at the door. Marnie quickly let him in. For a minute, I felt sorry for Jas and Shane and what they may endure tonight.

The small glow ring the junimos gave me in exchange for a fish bundle especially came in handy tonight while I picked berries well into the night then returned home.


	10. Bugs, Sweat, and Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linus’s 4 Heart Event

**Wednesday, Fall 10 Year 1:**

I forgot to check my mailbox yesterday. Thankfully, the only letter was a reminder about next week’s holiday.

_Dear Taylor,_

_One week from today, we are holding the Stardew Valley Fair in the town square!_

_It’s the biggest event of the year, drawing people from all across the country to our humble town._

_If you’d like, you can set up a grange display for the event. Just bring up to nine items that best showcase your talents. You’ll be judged on the quality and diversity of your display._

_The fair starts at 9 AM… don’t miss it!_

_~ Mayor Lewis_

I see why he sent the letter so early; advance notice should help me prepare a grange display sooner. I decided to save my best quality crops, and see what else can display my talents. Also, so he could visit Marnie sooner without worrying about Stardew Valley Fair preparation, I determined later in the day.

After farming, I visited the old community center and brought the junimos several items in the boiler room and a small monetary contribution to the vault. The lightning rod I got in exchange was going to be nice for the thunderstorms.

I spent the rest of the morning foraging for more blackberries in the Cindersap Forest. It was late afternoon when from the abandoned house with the hat mouse, now with a slightly larger collection of hats, I spotted Lewis sneaking around from behind Marnie’s home, then taking off into town. There was no doubt in my mind that he stayed the night there. Gross.

I covered most of the forest area and finished in the mountains, then mined for gold. I was brave and slayed my first shadow person shaman. It helped that he was alone and I managed to slay the slimes and bats around him first without getting his attention.

When I returned from the mines late in the night, I spotted Linus sitting around the campfire in front of his tent. He looked over to me and waved.

“Taylor! Come stand next to the firepit. It feels great.”

I stood across from Linus. After abruptly switching between the lava hot mines and the outside night chill, the combination of the wind chill and fire did feel pleasant in comparison. Although I didn’t have a kitchen to try the sashimi recipe at yet, I thanked him for the recipe he sent me a couple days ago and promised myself it would be one of the first things I would teach myself to make.

“I was hoping you’d come by sometime.” Linus stated.

“Oh?” Last week when I brought him some hazelnuts we briefly chatted about the crops I grew, and he mentioned that he loved yams. I worried he expected one; I still had a day before some would be ready. “What for?”

Linus sighed deeply and with some sadness. “I wanted to say sorry for mistrusting you at first. Most people don’t treat me well, so I’ve learned to be cautious. But you’ve been uncommonly nice to me. You’re a unique person, and I consider you a good friend.”

I fell quiet at first, then quickly regained my composure before my eyes could water. “Thank you, Linus. That really means a lot to me.”

A piece of my heart, hardened by experiences in the city, softened. While I used to consider others my friends, few, if any, had extended that same courtesy to me. Some time ago now, I learned in a painfully hard way that the very people I held dear considered me expendable. Now that I finally was really on the receiving end of a platonic love, I wanted Linus to know I appreciated him and to be sure he could still consider me a friend for years to come.

Linus got up from the firepit, and walked over to his tent. “Hey I want to show you something. Come inside.”

What for? Cautiously, I peered into the tent, and watched him as he mashed together slime with bug meat, then wrapped it together in fibers.

“Ah… there we go.” Linus held out the surprisingly intact mess towards me. “See this? It’s a special kind of fish bait that I make. It’s top quality stuff… I’d eat it myself! Here, I want you to have the recipe.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Linus had me practice making the wild fish bait until the recipe was solidified in my brain. I thanked him for the lesson before heading home to sleep. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good day to try out how well the fish bait works.


	11. A Mother’s Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam’s 4 Heart Event

**Thursday, Fall 11 Year 1:**

I visited Jodi’s family residence so I could wish her a happy birthday. The first person I found was Sam, who was in the kitchen raiding the fridge.

“Oh, hi Taylor. I was just about to have a snack. Here, let me get something for you.”

“You don’t have to – ”

Before I could stop him, he pulled out an egg from a carton. He passed it to me before I was ready to grab it, and it consequently fell. We both gaped as the raw egg splatted on the floor.

“Oh no…” Sam muttered.

“Was that supposed to be hard-boiled?” I asked.

“Yeah, I accidentally picked the wrong carton again.” Sam frowned as he rubbed the back of his neck. “What a mess…”

“What was that sound?” Jodi hollered from down the hall. Before I could ask Sam if there were paper towels or a rag I could use to clean the egg up, Jodi was already there. She gasped. “This is absolutely terrible! What happened?”

Sam looked to me, as if to say: _Well, tell her, Taylor._

“Sam handed the egg to me and I dropped it.” I replied.

“Yeah, that’s what happened!” Sam confirmed.

“I’m sorry, Jodi.” I worried for a minute that she wouldn’t let me visit again, so I figured I would offer to clean it up next or offer her a fresh egg I had in my backpack from the morning.

Jodi quietly sighed. “Thanks for telling me the truth, Taylor. It’s not such a big deal.”

Sam reached over by the sink for some paper towels. “I’m sorry about this, Mom. I’ll clean it up.” He proceeded to wipe up the mess.

“Thanks, honey.” Jodi beamed. She then left for the living room. As Sam finished wiping up the mess, I slipped the egg in my backpack into the carton Sam grabbed the first egg from. He caught me doing so.

“You don’t have to replace it.” He protested.

“I don’t mind. Besides, I was fine without a snack in the first place. I had a good breakfast this morning.”

“Okay.” Sam relented.

We then hung out in his room. He wanted me to give my opinion of a melody he composed over the past couple weeks. He played on his standard guitar.

“It sounds like something that could play on a pop radio station.” I commented. “Not a bad thing.”

“It’s just barebones for now.” Sam admitted, “Penny likes this style of music, so I thought I’d give coming up with a pop melody a whirl. Something to get the creative juices flowing.”

A knock sounded at his opened door. “Sam?” We turned to see his mom looking in. “I’m going over to Pierre’s to talk with Caroline for a bit. I’ll be back in a bit.”

He watched as Jodi left the house, waiting until he heard the door shut behind her.

“Well, that’s my cue. I better start on Mom’s birthday surprise.”

Sam started off towards the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“Making breakfast for dinner. And by breakfast, I mean pancakes and eggs.” Sam scoured the cupboards for flour and other ingredients. “Oh, shoot… we ran out of syrup.”

“I can grab some from the farm. I got some tapped from a maple tree earlier this morning, even though late winter is its usual season.”

“Could you bring some over? I’ll pay you for it.”

“No charge for the birthday mom.”

Sam beamed. “Thanks Taylor! You’re a lifesaver.”

I opened the front door, and Vincent was there. “Hi Taylor!”

“Vincent!” Sam called out to him. “Hurry and clean your room. We’re going to surprise Mom for her birthday.”

“Okey dokey!” Vincent gave him a salute and disappeared into his bedroom.

“I’ll be back, Sam!”

“See ya!”

I shut the door behind me then hurried to the farm by the Cindersap Forest route. I was a little out of breath by the time I reached home, but I could tell I was recovering from the physical exertion sooner than I used to. I picked up a bottle of syrup, then raced back to their home. I was nearly home free until Jodi caught me with my hand on the doorknob. Welp.

“Hi Taylor! I didn’t realize you had taken off.”

“Oh, yeah. I went back to the farm because I wanted to get you something.” I extended to her the bottle of maple syrup. “Happy birthday!”

“Oh. Thank you! We ran out of this recently. This makes my day really special.”

Not as special as Sam was going to, if things turn out right.

Jodi opened the front door, and the scent of slightly burned pancakes wafted from the kitchen. Jodi’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What on earth…?”

“Surprise!” Vincent shouted as he ran up to Jodi and hugged her. “Happy birthday, Mom! We made dinner!”

Sam peered from the kitchen, a lacey ‘Kiss the Chef’ apron hanging over his chest. Its petite and feminine design looked comically out of place on his tall, skater boy figure. “Welcome home, Mom. And Taylor, you made it!”

Vincent grabbed one of Jodi’s hands, then one of mine. “Come on, it’s dinner time!”

It was somehow implied that I would be sharing dinner with them. Vincent had set the table, and Sam placed the plates of pancakes and fried eggs in the middle of the table. Vincent sat next to Jodi, and Sam and I across from them.

Sam had mildly burnt the first batch of pancakes, but the second batch was golden. Regardless, Jodi was very pleased.

“Thank you, boys!” She finished her glass of cranapple juice and got up with her empty plate until Vincent stopped her.

“We’ll do the dishes, Mommy.”

“Aw, thank you sweetheart! I’ll unwind in front of the television if you need anything.”

“We got this, Mom.” Sam chirped.

“Thank you, Sam.” She kissed the foreheads of her sons, much to their embarrassment. Then Jodi gave me a hug. “And thank you, Taylor. I think I understand why the town missed your grandfather so much.”

“Thank you, Jodi. He was a generous man. I can only hope and aspire to be as good as he was.”

Sam protested that I should head home, stating that I had done enough with retrieving the maple syrup and saving the dinner. I ended up towel-drying dishes while he washed and Vincent returned them to their respective shelves and drawers.

“Mom works really hard. We rarely do chores.” Sam commented. “It was actually Vincent’s idea to do this. We couldn’t come up with any other gift.”

“It’s a good idea. Good on you for making the pancakes. First time?”

“Yeah. It’s pancake mix, but it works.” Sam seemed happy with his work. He then lowered his voice so only I could hear him. “Between you and me, it’s to help her relax. Dad went overseas about this time of year three years ago. He sends us letters every week or two, but we haven’t heard from him since a week before the Moonlight Jellies.”

My heart sank. “I’m sorry to hear.”

“Mom and I are saving face for Vincent, but we don’t know what’s happening, and the military force won’t tell us anything until the end of the season.”

The last dish, a plate, slipped from his hand back into the sink, making a loud clank against the cast iron sink.

“Here.” I washed that last dish for Sam and let him dry it. “If you need someone to vent to, you can talk with me. I understand it’s hard to be strong when you feel alone.”

Sam gave a soft smile. “Thanks, Taylor.”

“You’re welcome.”

Sam walked me to the front door and he, Vincent, and Jodi wished me good night. It was overall a pleasant day. For their sakes, I hope Sam’s dad is alright.


	12. A Boy and His Bike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian’s 4 Heart Event

**Friday, Fall 12 Year 1:**

On my way from the farm towards the mines, I passed by the carpenter’s shop and noticed that the garage door was open. Someone was working under a blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle, hoisted up on a Bursig lift.

“Hello?” I called.

Sebastian rolled out from under the motorcycle on a mechanic’s creeper. The sleeves of his hoodie were pushed up to his elbows. “Oh, hello Taylor.”

This was different. Besides the saloon Friday nights and the one time I visited him in his room, the only time I saw him outside it was either dark, raining, or both, and he used the time to smoke in solitude. Occasionally we’d talk, but it wasn’t often. I learned to respect his space by not talking every time we did interact and asking more thoughtful questions when I did.

“What are you working on?”

“What, you haven’t seen my motorcycle before?”

“No.”

“Hmm… I guess I haven’t shown it to you.” He rolled back under the motorcycle and resumed working on it.

“Specifically though, what are you working on?”

“Just the usual maintenance: replacing the air filter, cleaning parts, filling the tires…” I heard him tap his wrench on the bike. “Hey, have you ridden one before?”

“Once, when I was a kid. A friend of my parents took me for a lap around the neighborhood. Nothing else since then.”

I heard the clank of a wrench dropped on concrete. “Well, it’s a start.” Sebastian finally replied. He continued to adjust his bike.

“How often do you ride?”

“Every other week, give or take. Usually I take it to the nearest gas station, just a few minutes out of town towards Calico Desert. It’s the closest place around where I can get smokes.”

“And when you’re not going to get smokes?”

Sebastian thought for a minute before replying. “Sometimes, after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley. There’s nothing else like it, blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow. Once I’ve saved up enough money, I’m going to head out on my own… to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike.”

He fell quiet, lost in thought. Then I heard the sound of pouring liquid. “There we go, oil’s changed.” Sebastian rolled out again and looked up towards me. “Hey, maybe I’ll take you for a ride some day.”

“That sounds fun.” For now, I could only imagine how riding a motorcycle would be at a faster speed and more interesting scenery.

“Great.” He smiled.

I asked him a couple other questions like how long he had the bike and whatnot. After our chat, I took off for the mines and bid Sebastian farewell, agreeing to meet up with Sam and Abigail at the saloon later that night.

Today I finally made it to floor 90 and found quite possibly the neatest sword yet: an obsidian edge, Marlon called it. The blade was black as night and the hilt silver with the faintest hint of lavender.

I sold Marlon the trident I had been using, then spent the last few hours of the day before game night practicing with the obsidian edge in the frozen section of the mines. The trio, especially Sebastian, thought the sword looked pretty cool too. Sam has yet to best Sebastian at pool. The guy doesn’t know when to quit, I’ll give him that.


	13. Keepers of the Forest

**Saturday, Fall 13 Year 1:**

Yesterday’s harvest was so successful! I have never seen my savings account get this big before. Finally, time to get that kitchen upgrade! Or so I thought at first.

After the farm chores I visited the Community Center. I filled out the smallest of the vault bundle, then realized after paying for a 2500g bundle that I could also afford to fill out the largest 25,000g bundle. I pondered for a minute, then shrugged my shoulders. What the heck? I thought as I paid the 25,000g. The junimos brought me something useful each time I completed a smaller bundle. I wondered what would happen in exchange for finishing an entire room of bundles. It brought my bank account to a point where I couldn’t afford to buy the house upgrade today, but maybe with a little mining and/or fishing I could afford it tomorrow.

At first, the gifts I received consisted of a crystalarium and three chocolate cakes. After claiming the gifts, rather than one junimo appearing to carry a bundle to its hut, dozens in a variety of colors appeared at once. There were so many I began to feel overwhelmed. My vision faded into white, but I didn’t pass out. Instead, all I could see and hear were junimos chirping. Then, somehow in their voices, I could understand them. They spoke only one sentence:

_“We are the Junimos… Keepers of the forest.”_

When I recovered my vision, the vault room was transformed. The decayed floorboards were restored with new ones and a blue plaid wallpaper covered the walls. The vault, light fixtures, and windows were fixed, and a new desk and file cabinets stood where a worn down table used to be. The room was accessorized with plants and a purple rug. I followed one junimo with a bundle to the hut, and another one came out with a decorative yellow star, which was placed above the fireplace mantel in the main room of the community center.

I guess this was how the junimos planned to restore the community center. But why? Usually species outside of the human race want to restore the world to a more natural state, not encourage whatever we humans started doing. Would they tell me more in time?

After that, I went to Pierre’s to purchase some more seeds. I noticed the calendar indicating today was Abigail’s birthday, and ducked behind the store to see her. It was convenient that the junimos gave me some cake that I could give her, and nice that like me, she also loves chocolate.

We played a couple levels of ‘Journey of the Prairie King’ together, and ate some potato chips and a slice of cake as we did so.

“Hey, Taylor?” she asked after we lost all our available lives on level 4.

“Yeah, Abby?”

“I was thinking about dying my hair again…”

“Oh yeah? What colors have you had your hair before?”

“Well, I naturally have light brown hair. I first dyed it blonde when I got in junior high… it was Mom’s idea; she wouldn’t let me have it any other color, until I left my hair in a chlorinated pool for too long so it turned green like hers, which may or may not have been on purpose to make fun of her hair.”

We laughed at her teenage self. “So, what is the story of why Caroline’s hair is so green?” I asked.

“Too many years in swim team, she tells me. That, and poor city water quality at the time. She’s from Grampleton.”

“Ah, I see.”

Abigail nodded. “So after that fiasco, I finally persuaded her to let me dye my hair black.”

“That’s a pretty safe color.” I commented.

“Then toward the end of high school, I dyed my hair this dark ocean blue. I only started dying my hair bright purple last year. So… what do you think?”

“Well, I like your hair the way it is…”

“Of course you’d say that.” She rolled her eyes. “I could roll with this for a few more years though, I suppose.”

“If you do decide to dye it a new color though…” I thought for a moment, then came up with the first odd color that came to mind. “How about bubblegum pink?”

Abigail stared at me for a moment to gauge my seriousness, then giggled. “Haha… you’re always good for a laugh.”

“Thanks… out of curiosity though, would you?”

She shook her head. “That’s more Emily’s style. Or Haley if she ever decides she’s willing to give up that natural honey blonde. Emily’s hair did use to be this platinum blonde before she dyed it blue. It’s what made me want to dye my hair in the first place. Her blue hair has gotten brighter and longer since though. She used to have this wild pixie cut and a nose ring back in the day.”

“Really?” I asked incredulously.

“Yeah! I think I might have a picture of it back when I graduated from Stardew Valley High. Let me see if I can find it.”

Abigail searched a bookshelf near her pet hamster David, and pulled out a humble high school yearbook. Initially I was startled by how few pages it held, but then I figured it made sense for a high school with fewer people. Even with all the small towns in Stardew Valley, that high school may have barely come up with a couple hundred students, much smaller than my 3000+ student alma mater.

She flipped to the front cover page, which had several autographs and one loose picture, dated five years ago. Front and center stood an Abigail with twilight-blue hair and Sam, both in a forest green and silver cap and gown. Other smiling faces in the picture included her parents, Sebastian, Penny, Haley, Alex, and, sure enough, Emily with an under-shaved pixie cut with a matching cobalt blue stud in the left side of her nose.

“Whoa!” That image was shocking, and even elicited a laugh from me.

“Believe it or not, she used to be quite the rebel back in the day.” Abigail grinned. “She’s mellowed out since her parents took off on their extended trip around the world two years ago, but she’s still pretty free-spirited.”

That was a good word to describe Emily.

Abigail’s parents had plans with her for the rest of the day, so we parted ways.

I spent the rest of my evening in the mines. Now that I have more copper and iron ores and stone than I know what to do with, I’m finally daring to make it through more mine floors. My new method has so far consisted of peering around corners and avoiding drawing attention to myself when I use my pickaxe to mine. If there are suddenly more monsters than I feel ready to take on, I take a pre-constructed staircase, drill and slam it into the ground, and escape. I only needed to do that once today, thankfully.


	14. The Overt Oasis

**Sunday, Fall 14 Year 1:**

I went towards town after tending my crops, first going into the abandoned bus stop. I could fairly reliably find many forageable food items in this area. From behind what used to look like a broken down parking meter, a junimo caught my attention, then promptly disappeared. I say used to look broken down, because now the machine is operational.

The pixelated black-and-white screen booted up, and a bus logo appeared before revealing a question: _Buy a ticket to Calico Desert for 500g?_ Underneath were two text boxes, yes and no. Curious, I selected yes.

A new screen popped up for a few seconds before returning to the title screen: _Please return when a bus driver is present._

I didn’t have to wonder for long where I would find a bus driver. From the main path between the town and the farm, I saw Pam walking my direction. 

“Good morning, Pam. Where are you going?”

“Did you hear about the ol’ bus?”

I shook my head. Pam walked over to the ticket dispenser and inserted a master key which told the machine that the bus driver is now present.

“Well, sometime between last night and this morning, someone went in and repaired it!”

My jaw dropped. “No way!”

Pam chuckled, then proved the claim by climbing into the bus and putting another key in the ignition. The bus roared to life, sputtering only once and presumably from age rather than disrepair. “Yep, I’m back in the saddle, kid… feels nice. Hey, you wanna ride to the Calico Desert?”

I briefly inspected the bus, which didn’t look too different from before and spotted a junimo hiding behind one of the bus wheels before disappearing into thin air. Did they fix this bus as well as repair the vault room of the community center? I’m thoroughly impressed.

“Sure!” I finally replied.

I deposited 500g into the ticket dispenser machine and passed my bus ticket to Pam. She used her master key and ticket to pull out the 500g, and immediately we were off. With a good amount of the cash, she filled the gasoline tank at the nearest gas station. “Won’t have to refill this bad boy for weeks!” she hummed merrily. About ten minutes later, we left the valley, and another five minutes later, we arrived in Calico Desert.

The first thing I noticed was the scorching hot, dry air. After a couple weeks in much cooler weather, this was a pleasant surprise, or at least it would be if I didn’t have my jacket on. Pam was nice enough to let me leave my jacket on the bus and wait until I was ready to return to Pelican Town. She laid down in one of the passenger seats and whipped out a tabloid she picked up from the gas station.

Next, I spotted a camel tied to a stake. The camel is owned by a Desert Trader, an ethnic older woman named Rina who resides in a a modest, fenced-around yurt tent.

“Welcome traveler…” Rina smiled warmly from her canvas window that also served as the top half of her front door. “Interested in making a trade?”

It turns out she doesn’t use money in any of her transactions; rather, omni geodes and other goods that I didn’t have on hand and usually don’t have readily available. I did not foresee using her trading post frequently, except maybe after accumulating enough bat wings to acquire a butterfly hutch, or some omni geodes for an occasional artifact trove.

Despite this, Rina was friendly, and when asked if she ever visited Pelican Town, she mentioned that she does visit for a few days in the winter. Mayor Lewis hires her to give complementary cups of coffee at the annual Night Market for the merchants as well as the townspeople.

I then spotted a tall purple brick building to the southwest. When I got closer, I noticed the sign indicating its name: The Oasis. Curious, I stepped inside, and was surprised by the strong air-conditioned breeze that hit me. A bell I triggered by opening the door rang out.

“A customer?” A feminine voice spoke. Behind a set of store shelves appeared a woman in her mid-thirties with light brown hair dyed magenta pink half-up in a ponytail. She wore a loose, polka dotted blue romper with pant legs down to her calves and a blue shawl and magenta belt. She rushed behind the counter, then waved to me. “Hi! Welcome to ‘Sandy’s Oasis’!” She announced cheerfully.

“Thank you.” I politely replied. Was this the Sandy that Emily talked about?

“Hey, you look just like the new farmer Emily wrote to me about! Taylor, is it?”

I grinned and walked up to her to shake her hand. “That’s me! Emily sends her regards.”

“Then… the bus line to Stardew Valley is back in service!”

I nodded. Sandy squealed joyfully. “Oh, I’m so happy! It was starting to get lonely out here. I almost went out of business. Hey, but now you’re here to buy a whole bunch of seeds…” her chocolate brown eyes shimmered almost mischievously. “…Right, sweetie?”

I shrugged. I determined to at least look at the stock. “What do you have?”

“Oh, plenty!” She pointed over to the shelves. “Seeds for each season, houseplants, souvenirs, and shirts that get rotated every day. Take a look!”

Of the seeds available, I could only grow beets right now. Thankfully, beet seeds were pretty cheap, only 20g per packet. I bought 25. Sandy thanked me for coming, asking me to come again. “Oh, you can find coconuts and cactus fruits outside. Feel free to take as many as you can find. They’re oooh, so yummy!” She giggled.

“Thanks!” As overwhelming as her personality can seem considering her line of work, Sandy put me at ease rather quickly, much like her friend Emily. I gave her a wild plum I found this morning before hopping on the bus.

“This looks wonderful.” She replied. “Thanks so much! It’s not often I get fruits besides those from the cacti! Telly Emily I say hello!”

“Will do!”

Finally, I left the store, and collected a couple cactus fruits and coconuts, and even some unique artifacts I dug up while I wandered the desert. There were also three golden pillars, an old skeleton of what Rina called a sand dragon, an odd statue like ones I’ve found on the farm and throughout Pelican Town, and a pond next to a cavern. The cave led to a locked door I couldn’t open, but I made a note of the skull-shaped keyhole.

Before heading back into town, I decided to fish in the pond in front of the cave. I found a sandfish, lost a more stubborn fish, and then decided to head back into town with Pam, who still looked happier than I had ever seen her.

“You don’t know how glad I am that the bus is up and running! I feel alive again!”

We chatted happily on the drive back to Pelican Town and the walk to the Stardrop Saloon. Pam still frequented the place, but I guess years of drinking daily helped her to sober up quickly, because she didn’t seem to have much problem driving. I’ll still be cautious of course. On the plus side, she isn’t drinking as much as she used to.

Lewis chatted excitedly with Marnie. “…Did you hear? It seems the old town bus started working again overnight! That old thing has been dormant for decades.”

“That’s wonderful!” Marnie cheered. “Who fixed it?”

“Who knows?” Pam overheard them and replied from her usual spot. “Whoever they were, I’m thankful! It’s great to be employed again!” She raised her beer glass in cheers before taking a long swig.

Lewis placed a hand on his chin, stroking his white mustache with his thumb. “This is truly a great mystery.” He pondered.

Emily brought me a glass of sparkling cider. “Nothing like a sunny Sunday to lift the spirits! Did you get to go to the Calico Desert today?”

“Yes!” I chatted with her about my adventure. She squealed in delight when I told her I had met Sandy.

“It’s her birthday tomorrow. I’d totally run over and get her one of the sweet peas I saved from last summer, but Gus wants me in for work early tomorrow so we can prepare food for the fair on Tuesday.”

I now know my plans for tomorrow.


	15. Desert Sands

First, I made sure to plant my beet seeds. I was lucky; if I had forgotten any later, I wouldn’t be able to grow a second round of beets next week before winter. Then I ran to the carpenter’s shop to finally purchase a house upgrade, much to Robin’s delight. She said she would start on it on Wednesday after the fair. With any luck, I could start doing laundry in my own home starting next week.

I then checked my mail and found another reminder from Lewis about the fair tomorrow.

_ Dear Taylor, _

_ I just want to remind you that the Stardew Valley Fair is happening tomorrow. _

_ Don’t forget to bring your nine items for the grange display. _

_ Remember, the fair starts at 9 AM in the town square. See you there! _

_ ~ Mayor Lewis _

Finally, I remembered a straggling sweet pea I had saved in my house, and carried it with me to the bus. Pam wasn’t waiting for long.

When we got to the desert, I noticed more fallen coconuts and budded cactus fruits. I’m grateful that these items paid off at least the bus ticket to here. I planned to fish some more to make up for the beets I paid for yesterday, but first, to the Oasis.

Sandy’s eyes grew wide at the humble flower.

“Happy birthday!” I declared.

“Ooo!” She tenderly held the flower. “I absolutely love getting flowers from the valley. Thank you! I’m so happy!”

“Emily said she’d give this to you herself, but she had to go into work early today.”

“Oh yeah, the Stardew Valley Fair is tomorrow, isn’t it?”

I nodded as I looked through the shelves for more beet seeds. Another 25 to replace the ones I grew today next week.

“Bummer. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to get together. I used to have to take a bus to Grampleton, then make it to Pelican Town.”

“That must be inconvenient.”

“It is! We haven’t talked face-to-face since meeting up at the Grampleton Carnival last year.”

This situation vaguely reminded me of how me and a former friend started to gradually grow apart. I don’t know if Emily and Sandy had a stronger friendship, but if the bus repair was going to serve as the tool that prevents them from growing apart and ending a treasured friendship, I’m happy to have a part in that.

I pulled a bunch of beet seeds from the shelves, then noticed a long hallway across from Sandy and I. Down at its end was a large man wearing a black suit, bowler hat, and sunglasses, standing in front of a doorway up a staircase. He refused to acknowledge my presence.

“What’s over there, Sandy?”

“Oh, that shady-looking guy in the back?” she lowered her voice. “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

“Ah, okay.”

We parted ways and I fished for a couple hours. I managed to catch one stubborn scorpion carp and a few sandfish, and gave one sandfish to the junimos when I returned to Pelican Town. I spent the evening looking through what I had harvested, items I could take to the fair tomorrow. So far I have a ruby, a gold bar, cactus fruit, and a sandfish, and what I could consider high-quality cheese. I’ll get the rest of my grange display items farm fresh tomorrow morning.


	16. Stardew Valley Fair

My apple tree began to yield fruit today, and after a long minute I decided to put a pomegranate in my grange display instead of my first apple. I collected a pink fairy rose from the garden, an eggplant from the farm, and an artichoke that grew from wild seeds and added them to my collection for the fair.

I nearly left off for the fair when I got an instant message on my phone from Abigail: _You still have the shorts? I still dare you to put them on your grange display._

The shorts were washed the next laundry day after the Luau and weeks ago. I snatched the plastic bag I left them in since and stuffed it at the bottom of my backpack. I was pretty sure putting the shorts would disqualify me from that competition, but maybe if Abigail bribed me enough it could make up for the prize money I would forgo.

I could hear the commotion from the bus stop. I’ve never heard the town so noisy before, and later I realized it was because dozens of other people were there. Instead of one booth, there were six, and Pierre didn’t run any of them. I didn’t recognize any of the people manning the stations.

“Well, Taylor!” I spun around to see Mayor Lewis approaching me from a row of four grange displays. “It’s the big day… our most important festival of the year, the Stardew Valley Fair. We’re lucky the weather’s so nice today; it’s predicted to rain for most of this week.”

“Yeah, we are,” was all I could say at first. I wasn’t anticipating this large of a crowd and felt slightly overwhelmed.

“If you’d like to participate by setting up a grange display, I’ve left an empty stand for you. Just let me know after you’ve set everything up so we can get to the judging.”

“Thanks.”

The second display box was the empty one he mentioned. The first one, tended to by Pierre, was filled with pumpkins, yams, and bok choys grown from his garden plot behind the General Store, as well as tomatoes, blueberries, and red cabbages from the previous season grown in Caroline’s sun room.

“Pierre is very serious about his grange display.” Caroline talked with Jodi, “he’s been setting aside the best-looking produce for weeks in preparation.” She then noticed me eyeballing the empty grange display. “Hey, best of luck to you if you enter!”

“Thanks, Caroline.”

Caroline walked off to visit with Jodi and Emily. I overheard them talking about the performing clown.

“He doesn’t look very happy…” Jodi commented. “I guess Mayor Lewis had to cut costs with a budget clown this year.”

“You know, I would’ve made a good clown.” Emily wondered. “I think I missed my calling.”

“You wouldn’t be paid well enough.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Hey, Taylor!” Abigail walked up to me after finishing a game at one of the other booths, then lowered her voice. “Do you have it?”

I nodded.

“Good. Mayor Lewis caught me practicing with my sword a few days ago, and now my parents are watching me like crazy to try to find it and take it away.”

“Did they find it?”

“I have a good hiding place, so no. They’re bound to forget about it in another week, but I really want to get back at him today.”

“Is it worth giving up a prize at the displays?”

“I’ll make it so, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Deal.”

Abigail was nice enough to help me set up my stuff as I pulled them out of my backpack. “A good part of this competition is presentation,” she said. We then got to the bottom of my pack, which consisted of the shorts and an eggplant. “Huh, fitting,” she muttered. Too fitting, I realized.

She took both items, then placed the shorts in the center of the display as a crumpled wad to appear more like her father’s cabbages. She asked me to trust her when she kept the eggplant.

“I’m gonna talk with the guys… you keep yourself busy nearby.”

She took off towards the graveyard, where Sebastian smoked a cigarette and Sam talked with him while casually strumming a guitar. I walked over to the little petting zoo, where Shane tended to Marnie’s cows, pigs, and chickens while Jas and Vincent played with them. Linus and Harvey were nearby observing.

“All these animals are friendly and love to get massaged.” Shane explained to a mother and son (whose name I think is Simon?) who came up to look at the pigs.

“Moo!” Vincent shouted, then giggled as he ran from a pig twice his size.

Jas suddenly ran up from the chickens, holding her finger. “Ow! Uncle Shane, a hen pecked my little finger!”

“You need to be more gentle with them, _princesa_.” Shane knelt down and inspected her fingers. “At least she didn’t break any skin.”

“But it still hurts!”

Shane pulled out a pack of bandages from his pocket and wrapped a Barbie-themed one around her finger. “There. All better?”

Jas nodded. “I think so. _¡_ _Grac_ _í_ _as!”_ She darted over to Harvey. “Doctor Harvey, look! Uncle Shane took care of my finger.”

Harvey knelt down and inspected her finger. “Indeed he did. And he did a good job, too.”

“Does this mean I don’t have to go to your office in the winter?”

Harvey blinked in surprise. Jas’s question made me smile in amusement; she reminded me of me at that age.

“No, miss.” Shane replied. “I may be able to take care of the little boo-boos, but it’s Harvey’s job to find and take care of the big ones.”

Jas frowned.

“Jas,” Harvey tried to console her. “You still have a long time until your appointment. You can use the time to prepare and be brave, but remember that I’m there to take care of you.”

Vincent piped in. “He’ll get you a lollipop if you’re brave, Jas.”

Harvey nodded to confirm his claim.

“…Okay.” Jas agreed.

I then returned to the grange displays. Willy was impressed at the sandfish I caught in the Calico Desert. “You’re shaping up to be a good fisher, lass.”

“Thank you.”

Marnie also complimented my display. “I tried my best, but my display is pretty weak compared to Pierre’s. Well, maybe the judges will give me bonus points for the massive cheese wheel.”

I did like her cheese wheel. Even one of the tourists stopped for a moment to stare at it and say: “Wow. That’s the biggest cheese wheel I’ve ever seen. Very impressive.” I can only dream to make a cheese wheel that big someday. The cheese press as made directly from a schematic I picked up was good for smaller blocks of cheese, and although cheese would cost less to produce if I scaled up the size of the machine, my buyers preferred getting small amounts at a time.

“That was some strange-looking purple lettuce in your grange display!” Marnie commented. “I swear, it looked just like Mayor Lewis’s special und… Oh!”

“Like what, Marnie?” I asked in the most innocent voice I could muster up.

“Heh… never mind! I’m going to talk to the judges now.”

She walked over to Lewis, who seemed a little surprised that all the grange displays were ready so soon. He walked over, looked briefly over Pierre’s display, then looked at mine. He then made a beeline straight towards me, looking furious.

“YOU!!!” he muttered bitterly under his breath. “Was that some kind of sick prank?! Those are very private!”

Perhaps I’ve taken things too far. I figured it was best to hold my tongue and give my best poker face. After losing our impromptu staring contest, Lewis reached into his pouch and fished out three purple plastic coins and a roll of gray plastic coins. Meanwhile, Sam and Abigail snuck under the grange displays. Out of the corner of my eye, Sebastian stood on watch near Willy, holding on to Sam’s guitar. Abigail handed Sam my eggplant, then Sam swiftly snatched the purple shorts and replaced them with the eggplant. They crawled back towards Sebastian, and the three booked it towards the petting zoo. Finally, Lewis handed me the coins.

“Here, take 750 star tokens and don’t tell a soul. Now go clean up your box and bring me my… item… tomorrow.”

“What item?” I dared to ask.

Lewis glowered, then glanced back to my display, making a double-take when he realized the shorts were no longer there.

“You’re worse than your grandfather. He used to find ways to mock the mayor in his younger days.”

“Then don’t go asking me to find your private items when I have to snoop around in bedrooms to get them.”

“What do you mean?”

“You want to know where I first found them?” I lowered my voice more than it already was. “Under Marnie’s bed.”

“You found them… where?”

“Marnie’s room.”

His eyes grew wide, and his face changed colors, from red fury to a crimson shame. “Oh! Uhmm… heh. There? I have no idea how they could’ve gotten there…” He feigned a cough, then muttered under his breath. “This stays between you and me. Got it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good.” He walked off and resumed inspecting the grange displays. “And don’t forget to clean out your grange display box at the end of the day.”

To avoid any more stares, I ducked out of sight by heading up towards the fountain, where Gus had a few picnic benches set up around a grill and food warmer holding cabinets. He was grilling up some zucchini skewers and turkey for Evelyn and George, and smiled warmly when I approached the food warmers.

“Eat as much as you like! It’s all free today… compliments of Mayor Lewis. Oh! Make sure to dribble some of my secret sauce on there.” He gestured over towards a picnic table, where Maru ate a barbeque sandwich covered in the secret sauce.

“Mmm… this barbeque sauce is amazing!” she exclaimed, then passed me a bottle of it. “You’ve got to try some, Taylor!”

“That good, huh?” I grabbed a small slab of pork ribs from a holding cabinet.

Elliott overheard us and validated Maru’s claim. “I’ve been trying to get Gus to tell me his sauce recipe, but he won’t budge.”

They were right. Gus wasn’t famous around town for his food for no reason.

After lunch, I wandered back down to town square. Alex was collecting a token from the strongman game, and Haley stood nearby him. She glanced up and noticed me.

“Hey, Taylor!”

“Hey, you two. What’s up?”

“Alex has been gathering up a bunch of star tokens from topping out the Strength Tester.”

“Oh yeah?” I raised my eyebrows, feigning skepticism. Alex gleefully showed off his collection of at least a dozen tokens. “Care to do it one more time for good measure?”

Alex subconsciously rubbed his bicep. “I’ve played too many times. Now my arms feel like rubber.” He glanced over me, much more quickly than the creepy stare he used to give, but still smirked devilishly. “Hey, you must be getting pretty fit working on that farm all day. You should give it a try, Taylor.”

“Oh, yes!” Haley encouraged.

You could say the Strongman was never a strong suit for me, but maybe that’ll change, I thought. The buff man over the station directed me onto a red arrow, then handed me a mallet.

“Are you strong like me?” I subtly shook my head, but this guy was having none of it. “Smash stone!”

So I did. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the stone’s placement. Since my aim wasn’t that great, I hit the edge of the stone. The puck maybe jumped half an inch.

The buff man’s eyes grew slightly wide. “Wow… zero strength. I’m amazed at how weak you are.” While Alex and Haley snickered playfully, the man fished a star token from his pocket, which shut the two up immediately. “Here, have a star token.”

“Thanks.” I quietly replied.

Alex rested his hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you’ll reach my level some day. Something to look forward to, huh?” I raised an eyebrow to him. “Why do you have that look on your face?”

“Seems like I don’t need to.” I replied, flicking my star token into the air and catching it with the same hand.

“Have you been to the fortune teller?” Haley asked.

“Not yet.” I replied. “Where is it?”

“She set up her stand in the graveyard. I already saw her. She told me something… interesting.”

“…Like?” Alex pressed.

Haley giggled. “I won’t tell. What if it’s like birthday wishes, and they don’t come true if you tell someone what you wished for or heard?”

I snickered, then waved goodbye as I told them I would go over. I walked past the tents of carnival games on my way to the graveyard. Nearby, Robin and Clint set up other displays, Robin’s for her woodwork, and Clint for his blacksmithing. Leah and Demetrius hovered around Robin’s display, and Marlon gazed at Clint’s. Finally, I found the three amigos waiting in a line at the Clairvoyance Booth in the graveyard. Wizard Rasmodius stood nearby, supporting the fortune teller as well as wondering where he had met the clown before.

I lined up behind Abigail. “Thanks for saving my skin back there, you guys.” I told them just before Sam ducked into the tent.

“Hey, I owe you for wanting to shame the mayor in the first place.” Abigail replied. “Hey, you should get your fortune read! It’s only 100g.”

Sam came out of the tent, then he and Sebastian went to play some of the carnival games. Abigail got her fortune read, then finally, I entered the tent, shutting the tent flap behind me.

“Welcome, Taylor.” The familiar voice of an old woman rang out. From the shadows, I recognized Welwick from her television show, Welwick’s Oracle. “You watch my show rather sporadically.” She commented.

I shrugged my shoulders. I haven’t noticed a drastic difference on what she identified as lucky and unlucky days, so instead of watching the show in the morning, I’d occasionally turn it on in the evenings on days when I suspected an unusually lucky or unlucky day. 

Welwick gestured at a seat at a small round table, upon which her crystal ball softly blurred from smoke. I sat down, and at her request placed my hands on the crystal ball.

“Is there a question you would like answered today?” she inquired.

After a moment of thought, I asked if I should return to the city in the winter.

“The crystal ball will not tell you what you should do.” Welwick sharply remarked.

“Oh, sorry. How about… what does Stardew Valley have in store for me?”

Welwick nodded. “Better.” After a minute, she began to see into the smoke. “Hmm… I see you lying in a cot… It looks like a hospital. Linus is there to keep you company while you recover. What a nice friend.”

I shuddered at the thought of being in a hospital. I was pleasantly surprised to hear about Linus though. Perhaps I should grow him more yams before winter comes.

“Now I see you and Abigail in a dimly lit room. You look serious… but not unhappy. Something important must be happening.”

“What?” I asked cautiously.

Welwick shook her head. “…The crystal ball has moved on…” Her eyebrows furrowed at the crystal ball, then shot up with her widening eyes. “AH! You’re in combat! There’s something dreadful bearing down on you from the dark, but you seem more than ready to face it.”

Whatever Welwick was talking about, I sure hoped I would be ready. I nodded to her to acknowledge her statement and let her know I was ready to hear about what was next.

She peered into the crystal ball, which although it still appeared cloudy to me, it visibly turned dark. “Ah… the crystal ball has gone dim. That’s all I can do for you, young one. Now, just keep in mind that the future isn’t set in stone! Whatever I’ve told you today can still be changed, if you set your heart on it. Farewell.”

Welwick got up and tended to some items in the tent. I remained seated, stunned. After dozens of astrologers creating horoscopes for newspapers vague enough for anyone reading it to easily apply it to themselves, it was so odd to hear a future so specific, and yet not rigid. It never occurred to me that there could be a legitimate fortune teller out there, not out to scam people with general declarations, and Welwick, I now believe, is one of those.

Welwick glanced back to me. “I’ve already read your fortune… go away. There are other customers out there.”

“Right. Sorry.” I got up promptly and left.

I found the three amigos and Penny hovering around games in the other tents. I tried each of the games once each, but didn’t really feel invested in them due to poor luck at rigged carnival games. Both Abigail and Penny didn’t seem as interested in the games either, Abigail due to having already beat every game, and Penny due to already getting the star tokens for the prizes she wanted by observing a pattern with the bicolor wheel where you bet star tokens on a color. It didn’t take me long to notice the pattern she found. Although Penny wasn’t allowed to play anymore due to winning the bet ten times in a row, I “unintentionally” picked the wrong color once or twice to prevent tipping off that I knew the cheat.

Eventually I ended up with at least 3400 star tokens and used them to buy one of everything the prize booth had left: some dried sunflowers, a fedora, a scarecrow that resembled Turnip-Head from Howl’s Moving Castle, and the last stardrop fruit. The taste of it reminded me of milk chocolate, which considering that cacao beans are bitter, I was pleasantly surprised with the sweetness of the fruit.

When the sun began to set, the game booths closed up, and the tourists left for home. Pierre got first place on his grange display, but rumor has it I came close, which surprised several people considering this was my first year as a farmer. Town cleanup took place more quickly than it did at the Luau due to more people being available to take care of their respective tents. After I filled my backpack with my prizes and grange display, Leah and I accompanied Marnie, Shane, and Jas to the Cindersap Forest with the petting zoo animals to return them to Marnie’s ranch. Marnie and Leah escorted the cows, Shane and I each took a pig, and Jas held one chicken. Shane carried the other one in a large pocket in his hoodie.

The sun was long gone when I finally made it home.

I didn’t realize this until reflecting on the day: I don’t know who currently has the shorts.


	17. Words Like Silent Raindrops Fell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail’s 4 Heart Event

**Wednesday, Fall 17 Year 1:**

Robin showed up early in the morning to begin working on upgrading my farmhouse. First things first, we installed two large tarps over two sides of the house so she could build without getting too soaked. After getting the basic measurements, she determined to first put up the floor foundation, walls, and roof of the house extensions. For now, the current walls would stay in place, so I can still comfortably sleep and function in my current home setup.

This rainy day I intended to spend in the mines, after tending to the farm and animals. I walked through town and found myself alone. Most of the townspeople stayed inside as much as they could with this weather. I dropped off a handful of items at the Community Center for the junimos, then carried on my way towards the mines. When I got near the carpenter’s shop, I heard a flute playing in the distance. It was a pretty, reflective tune that seemed very suitable for this weather, and I decided to quietly find the source.

Towards the mountain lake, I found Abigail standing under a tree as she played a flute. It pleasantly surprised me, as I heard she already played drums, and for a tomboy like her, a flute seemed very feminine. Nothing wrong with knowing multiple instruments, and also nothing wrong with liking both masculine and feminine things; again, it was a pleasant surprise.

I decided to go talk to her. There wasn’t any conceivable way for me to get past her without her noticing me anyway.

Abigail seemed surprised to see me. “Taylor! Why are you out here in the rain?”

“I could ask you the same question.” I replied.

“…That’s true.” Abigail smiled slyly before looking out to the lake. “I came here to spend some time alone.”

“Okay.” I could respect that. I began to walk towards the mines.

“But I don’t mind your company!” She quickly backtracked, then was quiet for a moment. “You’re getting soaked… come stand under the tree.” She gestured to her right, and I was grateful for the slight relief from the rain the tree provided. Again, she turned towards the lake watching rain drop into the lake. Occasionally, a fish would jump up and cause a larger ripple.

“It’s impossible to describe this feeling…” she sighed, “…watching the curtains of rain whisper above a silent lake.”

I guessed that that was why she was playing the peaceful, somber melody on the flute. Music does a splendid job describing emotions. I wondered if she’d like an accompanist… Taking the shot, I pulled out my mini-harp, the only instrument I wanted to (learn to) play and that I was able to afford back in the city. Sometimes I would take it with me on trips to the mines and practice by myself on the 20th level where lay another lake even more isolated than this one.

Abigail’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Hey! A mini-harp! You’re full of surprises, Taylor. I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. “Do you want to try to play together? I may be able to learn the chords for the song you were playing earlier.”

“That sounds great.”

It took a few attempts, but eventually we figured it out. Her song turned out well enough that she asked me if I knew any other songs. I began to play the guitar part of a Simon & Garfunkel song, and one Google search on Abigail’s phone later, we successfully figured out an arrangement of _The Sound of Silence_ that consisted of her playing the melody above my instrumental. It more resembled the Disturbed cover than the original, but it still sounded pretty good. It even caught Sebastian’s attention on his way out of his home.

“Didn’t know you could play too, Taylor.” He commented.

“Very casually.” I replied. “I don’t practice enough to really perform.”

“It’s a shame, really.” Abigail commented. “It could be fun having another band member.”

I shrugged. “Maybe in an alternative world where I actually stuck to playing piano or orchestra after junior high, or a cello works its way into a song somehow. Did you two play in school?”

“Us and Sam in marching band.” Abigail declared cheerily. “Sam transferred into our school our junior year and did trumpet. I mostly played flute, and Sebastian was on drums.”

“It’s called being a percussionist,” Sebastian protested, “and I did xylophone more often because I was one of the few people in school with piano experience.”

“Our school didn’t want its students to be exclusively snare drummers,” Abigail explained, “so a couple people from each section were chosen to rotate through percussion. Sebastian managed to stay in the longest since he knew the most piano. I got close to reaching his status though; I ended up playing drums more my senior year after Seb graduated.”

“Cool.” As much as I disliked high school, it was interesting to learn more of how far back the three go. I didn’t know Sam transferred in. What brought his family to Pelican Town?

“Well, I should probably get going.”

“Yeah, me too.” Sebastian added. “I’m heading over to the beach. If you’re lucky, you might see a frog in this weather.”

“Neat. See you all later!”

Abigail stayed at her spot under the tree while Sebastian went on his way towards town and I descended into the mines.

I resurfaced with a nice assortment of geodes and gemstones, including (at last) a diamond for my sturgeon. (I planned to place it in my new crystalarium first so I could produce more of them.) Abigail was long gone from the mountain lake at that point, and Clint’s shop was already closed. I swung by the saloon for a quick meal, then decided to get a second for Robin. She deserves it for spending full days building, not only my house, but also the coop and barn. When Gus heard who I wanted to get it for, he whipped up two take-out boxes of spaghetti. “It’s her favorite.” He mentioned.

I returned home early so I could give Robin her dinner at a good time for a break and invite her to sit down in my house to eat. She sat in my humble wooden chair while I used a large futon bear I received from Gunther as my seat. She absolutely gushed over her meal in gratitude, and we chatted as we sat and ate.

“The foundation and walls were finished right on schedule, and I should have the trusses and possibly the sheathing done before I turn in for the night. The wood you brought matches with the house perfectly, by the way. Usually there’s a slight color discoloration that comes with age, but that’s not a problem in this case.” Robin rambled. “So how was your day?”

“Pretty nice. Chatted with Seb and Abigail for a little bit before heading down in the mines. I found a lot more gems today than usual.”

“Neat! Maru likes gems. She uses them in her inventions.”

“Is that what she enjoys doing in her spare time?”

“Oh yes! She specializes in robotics, but usually she doesn’t feel comfortable with sharing them when they’re still a work-in-progress. She invented a mopping version of a Roomba last winter, and had worked on it for more than a year before showing it to Demetrius and I. So how are you and Maru getting along?”

“She’s sweet. Cares a lot about her family.”

Robin giggled. “Yep, that’s my girl. She’s probably trying to make pumpkin soup for dinner for the boys right now.”

“How are they doing?”

“Sebby says he’s locking himself in his room to make up for yesterday’s lost time on one of his projects. As for the other man… I hope Demetrius doesn’t blow the house up with one of those science experiments of his. He’s asked about so many other materials I’m not even sure what he’s working on anymore. I think it has something to do with plants, but who knows anymore?” Robin shrugged. “Well, I better get back to it. Thanks again for dinner!”

She finished the base of the roofing just as she expected. Since tomorrow is expected to be sunny, she decided that she would install the roof shingles first thing tomorrow so it can be ready sooner for the remaining week’s downpour. After that, she’ll then install the new kitchen furniture and add electrical wiring to the interior.


	18. The Old Gray Mare

**Thursday, Fall 18 Year 1:**

The rain stopped today, taking down many of the trees’ colored leaves with it to the forest bed. I assisted Robin with removing yesterday’s tarps so the sun can evaporate the moisture in the wood.

“You’re going to laugh at this coincidence that happened last night.” She smiled mischievously. “My husband almost set the house on fire with his science experiment!”

I gasped. “What happened?”

“One of his beakers exploded and sent a fireball into the rafters! Thank Yoba I used fire-resistant lacquer when I built the place. Have I told you that I built our house from the ground up? It’s definitely been the highlight of my career so far, but this house expansion is working out to be pretty good too.”

Robin placed down the underlayment and roof cover while I tended to the crops and animals, and started on placing down the shingles when I left for town.

I stopped by Clint’s so he could crack open yesterday’s geodes and upgrade my watering can. After donating the new minerals and artifacts I found in the geodes to the museum, I received a crystal chair. It would have been more useful yesterday, I smiled to myself. Oh well.

After buying some new seeds from Pierre, I checked the calendar and noticed that today is Marnie’s birthday. I decided to talk to Gus about what she may like for her birthday. Since I came in the Saloon so early in the day, he was nice enough to whip up a special pink birthday cake in exchange for 960g and an egg.

“When she can afford it, Marnie likes to order this on special occasions, especially if it has something to do with Jas. They both love this stuff!”

Gus told me to come back in a couple hours so he could have time to bake and decorate. After dropping off the crystal chair at my house (now with the exterior complete and Robin working on installing the kitchen cabinets), I decided to forage in the Cindersap Forest while I waited. There were several mushrooms in the Secret Woods, and more hazelnuts and wild plums around the lake.

Leah joined me soon after I left the Secret Woods. Her focus was on common brown mushrooms to throw in her stir-frys. She found more than I anticipated she would by checking in places I couldn’t quite reach, especially under bushes and piles of fallen leaves.

“There’s actually a lot of wild food in this area, if you know where to look.” Leah commented.

My humble backpack pockets of so many goods paled to her large basket of mushrooms and wild vegetables. “I believe it.”

“I’ve been having fresh salads almost every day. I make them in my little kitchenette. Do you have a kitchen in your house?”

“Hopefully by tomorrow, I will.”

Leah smiled warmly, and it reminded me of the sun. Not quite a full-on high-noon blast to which I would attribute Sam’s smile, but like the beams shooting from clouds when a storm has died down.

“That’s great! If you have a kitchen, you can cook all kinds of delicious meals. I like to save on food expenses when I can. It helps me afford going out to drink and socialize at the saloon.” Leah paused to look over a few particularly brightly colored leaves. “I wonder if I could make a collage out of dried leaves?” she pondered to herself. “They’re just so colorful... I can’t help but think of the potential for art projects.”

I chuckled softly. “I haven’t decorated anything with leaves since I was a kid.”

“Me neither. Something just feels right about it, especially this time of year. It takes me back to simpler times.”

My cell phone rang from my pocket due to an alarm indicating that the cake is ready. “I better get going to the Saloon. I’m picking up a cake for Marnie’s birthday.”

“Oh yeah, that’s today, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“She’s sweet. Older than she looks, but she’s plenty strong from tending to her animals. She taught me some of her tricks at Tuesday aerobics classes.” Leah wondered for a moment. “I heard recently she’s been busy tending to her pregnant goat. Maybe I’ll bring her some stir-frys for dinner!” She held out her basket of goods under my handful of mushrooms. “May I?”

I gave her all the mushrooms I had available. We agreed to meet at her cottage and walk over to Marnie’s ranch with meals and cake ready.

When I picked up the cake, Shane had already assumed his position by the saloon fireplace, drinking away at a mug of beer. Perhaps he’d like to join the festivities?

I dared walk up to him. I may have done so fewer than ten times this whole year in Pelican Town so far. “Hey, Shane. I–”

“How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone?”

Usually I’d just shrug off his harsh words (sometimes give him a hot pepper from last season,) and leave him alone, but today I was not in the right mood to deal with that politely.

“Okay, dude. First off, I hadn’t even finished my sentence. Secondly, I’ve barely spoken to you my whole time here because I know you like your space, and I respect that. So when I do come up to you, I’ll cut the chatter, ask my question if I have one, and be done with it. I’m not asking to be your friend, but if you could at least pretend to be friendly, it’ll make our interactions less painfully awkward for both you and me.”

Of course it was after I finished my rant that the song playing from the jukebox died down, and my last couple words rang out in the saloon. Only Pam and maybe a couple other people were there, so the weird stares didn’t faze me as much as they would have.

Shane stared at me stone-faced, a hint of bitterness burning in his eyes. Whether intentionally or not, he waited until the next song began to play before he spoke, and in a quieted voice.

“What do you want?”

“Leah and I are going over to Marnie’s to bring food and celebrate her birthday.” I patted the box that held the pink cake. “You’re welcome to join us, now or later. Whichever you prefer.”

Without another word, I turned on my heels and left the saloon, box of cake in tow. Looking back on it, I cringe and wonder if I was a little harsh on him.

I shrugged it off on my way to Leah’s cottage. She hollered at me to enter, and I watched as she finished cooking the last large batch of stir-fry and poured it from a pan into a serving pot.

“And that’s it!” she exclaimed triumphantly as she covered the pot with a lid. “So, are we ready to go?”

“Yep!”

Leah used large oven mitts to hold the pot of stir-fry and we carried our items the short walk to the ranch. I knocked at the door, and Marnie opened it.

“Happy birthday!”

Marnie placed her hands on her cheeks, surprised. “Aw, thanks girls! Come on in!”

The four of us gathered around the dinner table and enjoyed Leah’s meal. She’s a pretty dang good chef. Jas mostly stayed quiet while the three of us chatted about Marnie’s animals.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how nice your calf was when I walked her home from the fair.” Leah commented.

Marnie laughed. “Yep, that’s Miss Katrina for you. She takes after her mother, Belinda.”

“Did you tend to animals before, Leah?”

“Yeah! Back when I lived in Lake Topsum with my parents ages ago.”

“Where’s that?” I asked.

“It’s about an hour and a half out of the city, to the north, a little west.”

“That’s where I got Belinda and a few of my other animals!” Marnie exclaimed.

Leah giggled. “Yep, if anyone has heard of Topsum, it’s for their livestock and agriculture. It’s a few hundred people bigger than Pelican Town, but big enough to be the largest small town in the area. They have this giant fair every fall with a bunch of competitions for animal shows, rodeos, and demolition derbys, but I haven’t been since I was a teen, and then when I was nine before that.”

“What happened?” Marnie asked.

“My parents and I stopped in Pelican Town one fall, in time for the Stardew Valley Fair too. I feel much happier here; there’s fewer crowds and a more friendly competitive air, even with the few contests you have here. Topsum Fairs have not been nearly as interesting to me since, rather, more stressful for the few friends I had that entered in their ponies. Somehow I knew even then that I would leave Lake Topsum and return to Pelican Town.”

Leah reflected for a moment before Marnie commented: “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Leah.”

“Thanks Marnie.”

“No, thank you for dinner! This was amazing.”

“Wait till you see what Taylor brought for dessert.” Leah smiled. We opened the box of round pink cake, complete with heart candies and red icing spelling: Happy Birthday Marnie!

Jas suddenly became more attentive, and led us in singing a happy birthday song to Marnie. While Leah and I sang “dear Marnie,” Jas sang loudly, “Aunt Marnie!”

There was probably two-thirds of the cake left after the four of us each took a slice. Was there anything Gus couldn’t cook (or decorate) well? Did he go to a culinary school?

The sun was beginning to set when Leah and I began to pack up. There were a lot of stir-fry leftovers, and Marnie was nice enough to lend us plastic containers so Leah and I each took a helping home.

“Feel free to visit us any time you please!” Marnie said as Leah and I got up for the front door. “Also, Taylor, I might be getting some different kinds of animals in the future.”

“Neat!”

“Although, I’ll need to make sure there’s a market and place for them, so you’ll have to prove your skills with animals and upgrade your coop and barn so you can hold them. Just keep treating your animals with respect and good things will happen.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thanks for the heads up!”

“Good evening, ladies. ¡Adiós!”

Marnie shut the door behind us, and I watched Leah head to her cottage.

“I had lots of fun today, Taylor!”

“Me too.” I replied.

“Well, good night!”

“Night!”

Leah closed the door behind her, which left me alone in the forest. In the distance, I saw Shane watching me from the closest lamppost from town. Was he waiting for us to leave?

I gave him a small wave, unsure if he even wanted that attention drawn to him, then rushed home. Hopefully he enjoys the leftovers.

Robin was nearly done with my house. My bed was pulled from the corner of the room so a wall could be opened up, but for now that was closed off by a plastic sheet serving as a partition. My entire west wall was also partitioned off.

“I’m nearly finished, Taylor! I just need to finish installing the wiring and plumbing, and then you’re good to go. If you’d like to go to bed early tonight, feel free. I brought you a fan for white noise, but there shouldn’t need to be any more loud noises. No need to wait on me.”

There wasn’t any hiding me being impressed with her work. “Wow. Thank you.” I wasn’t sure if I would sleep right away like usual. I don’t feel comfortable with others in my living space; I had lucked out when I managed to get the studio apartment I had back in Zuzu City. It was so small my landlord couldn’t justify charging for it the cost two people could afford to live in it.

“Wait!” Robin stopped me when I reached under my bed for the suitcase I still used as my chest of drawers. “Do you need to use the shower tonight?”

“No.” I assured her. I typically showered after tending the farm and animals and before I went into town.

“Oh good! The bathroom will be finished by morning too. Everything else should still work fine.”

“Okay, thanks, Robin.”

I took a modest set of pajamas, consisting of long plaid pants and an old T-shirt, with me to the bathroom. There was another partition barring me from the shower, now expanded to be a bathtub as well. Besides that, the only house upgrade I immediately benefited from was that the bathroom was wider and my pedestal sink is now a countertop sink. I immediately liked having more counter space in my bathroom, and it would likely be filled quickly over the next few days as I adjust to it.

I changed, swiftly climbed in bed, then went to sleep much faster than I expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who patiently waited for this next installment of Taylor’s story (which I’ve used more as creative writing practice and self-therapy), my apologies. School got busy right around the time COVID-19 changed things. Also, I feel this chapter needed to be published when a few of the subsequent ones are ready to be published as well. So for you fellas on the Shane Train, you know what’s gonna come over the next couple days. I hope I don’t disappoint.


	19. Pumpkin Queen

**Friday, Fall 19 Year 1:**

Robin had my house finished before I woke up.

The first thing I noticed: the partitions were taken down. There was now a nice little kitchen with tiled floors, wooden cabinets, laminate counters (with a small wooden butcher block section), a stove and oven, a single basin stainless steel sink, and a refrigerator.

The hallway that had been closed off was also opened. I walked through and found myself in a room the size the main room used to be, with only a large queen-sized bed inside. It was going to be nice sprawling in a bigger, not rickety bed.

I took some time to take down the old single bed, rearrange the furniture to make the place feel a little more spacious, and to transfer my food from the chest in a cool corner of the house into my fridge. Finally content with my new setup, I braved the rain and lightning and went out to check the mail. I got a request from Caroline.

_Taylor –_

_I’d like to buy a pumpkin from you. My daughter and I want to carve a jack-o-lantern for the upcoming Spirit’s Eve festival._

_~ Caroline_

It was a good thing I needed to grow more gold quality pumpkins for the junimos; it also gave me a valid excuse for a pumpkin patch on the farm. I picked out a nice round pumpkin from the patch and placed it in my backpack. My first order of business for the day was to put in a request to Robin for a coop upgrade.

I took the mountain path to her home. She seemed pleased to see me.

“Hey Taylor! So what do you think of your new home?”

“I love it, thanks!”

Robin grinned widely. “Now that you have the space, I ought to let you know that I sell mini-fridges and workbenches. If you find yourself not having the space you need for cooking or building, you can use these to make access to food or supplies easier.”

Those sounded useful; perhaps I’ll get a workbench over the winter. I could spend my free time not farming instead building fences and paths along the property.

Wow, I was really seeing Pelican Town as home now. I smiled to myself; this is a pleasant change from never feeling completely welcome or wanted in Zuzu City. Could I persuade my parents to come visit me instead?

“Thanks for the offer, Robin. Today I was wondering if you could fill another building order?”

“It depends. What are your plans?”

“Well, I would like upgrades for my coop and barn, and if possible, another silo, that especially before winter.”

“Finally putting me to work, are you?” She teased mildly.

“Do you have the room in your schedule for it?”

“Absolutely! Usually I don’t get the home repair orders until the end of the month, and even if I do, it only takes a few hours to say, fix a leaky roof.”

We arranged for her to start the coop upgrade tomorrow, as I didn’t quite have enough stone for the barn yet. I would have to do a moderate amount of mining over the next few days to be sure I would have enough when it was time to purchase the barn upgrade, hopefully on Wednesday (or Tuesday if I’m fast enough). Robin warned me of her preference of not requesting her services on Mondays or Thursdays so she could attend aerobics classes on Tuesdays and have her usual date nights with Demetrius on Fridays. I’m writing this here so I remember to consider these.

After this, I made a stop at the community center to drop off three apples for the junimos. They left me a space heater in return. I wasn’t sure what to do with it at first, until I realized I could heat the coop or barn with it for the animals during the winter. (Poor Bessica is still alone. I’ll have to see if Marnie has a friend for her soon when I get a second heater.)

Finally, I made my last stop at the general store just before closing. Pierre asked if I needed anything, and after I said no, he went on to restock the store. He directed me to the kitchen to find Caroline. She was cooking dinner when I found her, and she seemed more than eager to take a break from waiting for rice to boil when I presented her the pumpkin.

“Oh, the pumpkin!” Caroline exclaimed. She inspected the pumpkin I placed on the table. Thankfully the rain effectively washed it of soil. She patted the pumpkin and nodded in approval when it gave a solid thunk. “It’s a good one. Abigail will be so happy when she sees this.”

“Where is she?” I asked out of curiosity.

“She left early so she could go to band practice with the boys.”

“Ah, makes sense. I guess I’ll be going then?”

Caroline offered a cup of tea before I would go. “Don’t want you getting too cold from the rain.”

“Thanks.” I sipped graciously.

“Thank you, Taylor, for the pumpkin. I hope this wasn’t too much trouble, considering the weather.”

“No trouble at all. I enjoy a nice walk in the rain every once in a while.”

“You and Abigail,” she commented. “No wonder you too get along. Do you like searching for frogs too?”

“Not usually, but I can see the appeal.”

Caroline shrugged. “Ah, well… is it just me, or does Abigail play too many video games?”

I limited my reply to a shrug and palms out. I have seen her stress a little on Sundays when she pushes off her online homework for the whole weekend then pulls all-nighters. I’ve done my fill of those when I wanted to de-stress at university.

“Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned…” Caroline muttered to herself. In some ways, she reminded me of some adults I knew who still felt young (or yearned to be young again) despite not being interested in the things younger adults and teens liked.

I finished off my cup of tea, then made my way home. I placed the heater in the barn with Bessica so it wouldn’t interfere with Robin’s work on the coop tomorrow. I realized when I prepared for bed that I miss the convenience of the bathroom being so close to my bed, but not nearly enough to regret having additional living space. Maybe in another house upgrade I could request a master bathroom in my bedroom.


	20. One More Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane’s 6 Heart Event

**Saturday, Fall 20 Year 1:**

After I picked up my steel watering can from Clint, I spent most of the day in the mines to keep out of the rain and collect more stone. The rain lightened up some late afternoon, and so I visited the beach to scavenge for shells. The only company there to be found was Willy, who contentedly fished at the docks, and of course the ghostly Old Mariner, who still says I’m not ready for whatever gift he has.

It was closer to sunset when the rain further ceased to a trickle. On what I thought was a whim, I decided to forage in the forest too before night fell.

I was wandering near the sewer grate when I accidentally kicked an empty beer can off the cliff. My more environmentally protective nature cringed at my inability to undo my error, but not for long. I found a trail of at least a dozen empty beer cans, which led to someone passed out facing down on the ground. I barely recognized Shane in his tattered Joja jacket in the remaining daylight. He looked beyond the help a watering can would bring.

“Shane?” I called, unsure if he was conscious enough to respond. To my relief, he shifted in the grass.

“Taylor…?” I knelt in the wet grass so I could hear him better. “I… I’m sorry…” he hiccuped, coughed, and muttered a few swear words.

About what? It pained me to see him this way. “Is this about the last time we spoke? I’ll admit to being a little harsh on you, and for that I’m sorry.”

“No… it’s not that…” Another set of violent hiccups. Gradually, he spoke more. “M… My life… it’s a pathetic joke… Look at me…”

Shane shifted his arms above his head and buried his face in the sleeves of his cheap blue hoodie. “Why do I even try?” he sobbed.

He has depression, I realized. Why didn’t – couldn’t – I recognize it sooner?

“I’m too small and stupid to… to take control of my life.” he continued. “I’m just a p… piece of soiled garbage flittering in the wind.” Loudly he belched. He was quiet for a minute, then continued when I didn’t comment right away.

“I’ve been coming here often lately, looking down… Here’s a chance to finally take control of my life. These cliffs…” Shane gestured over to the cliffside, which was maybe a couple of feet from where he was lying down. I readied myself to grab him in case he decided to move to the edge.

“B… bu…” he burped again. “But I’m too scared, too anxious. Just like always…” Again, he cried, and he spoke with more emotion and bitter passion than I’ve known him to be able to before. “Taylor… All I do is work, sleep, and drink… t… to dull the feelings of self-hatred. Why should I even go on? Tell me… T… Tell me why I shouldn’t roll off this cliff right now?”

Immediately I reached for him and pinned his arms to the muddy ground. Shane made no subsequent effort to move.

My heart sank like a heavy weight in my gut. Shane and I weren’t close, but I knew the town would be devastated if he were suddenly gone, even if no one else was close to him either.

I recall a day in my sophomore year at Zuzu University. The week before finals, one student leaped from the sixth story of the business school building. The entire student body fell silent, and I didn’t hear any of the usual tired yet somewhat optimistic bustle until after returning to school the next semester. I didn’t know the student personally, nor witness the fall, but knew one person who did. For a long time, they felt guilty – survivor’s guilt – about something they couldn’t control, and eventually dropped out. I don’t know what happened to them since, and sometimes to this day the thought terrifies me.

Individual professors did their best to reach out to their students since then, and the university added a few more counselors to their staff. The windows were rebuilt to be smaller and have thicker glass, but although it wasn’t said out loud, everyone knew Zuzu University only knew how to treat the symptoms of depression and not how to alleviate it.

So how do I alleviate Shane’s anguish?

Marnie… Jas… what would I say to them? What do I say to Shane right now? Nothing religious; even a devout follower of Yoba wouldn’t want to feel guiltier than they already might feel. Would talking about Jas motivate him to stand up and continue living, or drive him into further despair? There had to be something worth living for, but that generic claim needs evidence and examples. How could I lie and say there’s so much to live for when some days I barely knew for myself why life was worth living?

I longed to know what would help him, but couldn’t think of anything. It killed me inside to see myself failing to help this man. I was grateful for the rain, as it hid the tears streaming down my cheeks as I removed my grip from Shane’s forearms and said possibly the hardest thing I ever had to say. “The decision is your own. Just know that I’m here for you.”

Internally, I begged for him to stay. I wasn’t sure that he would at first. After the longest ten seconds of my life, he finally spoke. “Thanks… I appreciate that… I really do.”

Slowly, I exhaled. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath. Shane extended an arm and reached for me.

“Taylor… I think you should take me to the hospital now.”

Oh, thank Yoba! This I could do. I sprang to my feet. “Okay. Can you get up?”

Shane attempted a push-up, only for his arms to give way underneath him.

“Here.” I grabbed his hands and tried to pull him up to his feet. I barely pulled him up a foot, the guy was so heavy.

“Lift with your legs,” he muttered. “Not your back.”

Shane directed me to kneel on one knee and wrap one arm around his back, hand on his shoulder, as he wrapped an arm around mine. Slowly, I extended my legs underneath me. He was still heavy, but his trick worked. Must have come from years of stocking goods at the JojaMart.

His legs were very wobbly and sluggish, but somehow I managed to move him from leaning on my shoulder to behind my back, arms draped over my shoulders in a pack-strap carry. “Okay, hang on.” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

The hardest part was shimmying across the little wooden plank bridges. Halfway across the last one, Shane turned his head and vomited into the river. Soon after, he fell unconscious.

“Oh, no you don’t, Shane! Stay with me!”

The sun was long gone at this point. Through some mud and the rest of town, I somehow managed to drag him to Harvey’s clinic. It was well after hours and, sure enough, the door was locked.

I knocked as loudly as I could. “Come on, Harvey, open up!” No response.

I pressed on the buzzer, holding my finger there for a few seconds. Still no answer. Was it even working?

I looked up to the faint light of the upstairs window. Thankfully, I had my slingshot and a couple rocks to spare. Somehow, with Shane still hanging on my shoulders, I aimed and hit the windowpane.

“Harvey! Doctor Harvey!” I fired another rock. “It’s an emergency, I need you!” Without hesitation, I fired my third and last rock. “HARVEY!” Finally, a few seconds later, the window opened up. Harvey peered out, shirt slightly unbuttoned and tie undone, looking a little drowsy.

“Taylor…?” he looked down towards me and Shane. It only took a second for him to register what was happening, and immediately he raced down. He threw the door open and had a wheeled-out hospital bed and a stack of towels ready. Harvey helped Shane off my shoulders and effortlessly laid him on his back on the bed. I was relieved to get him off; that guy was heavy.

“What happened?” Harvey asked urgently as he took two towels from the top of the stack and handed me one. “Tell me as we dry him off.”

“Too much alcohol,” I panted as I dried Shane’s hair and head. “But that’s not the worst part. Before he asked me to bring him here, he nearly threw himself off the cliffs.”

“How long ago did he pass out?”

“Ten, fifteen minutes. He vomited before passing out by the river in the forest.”

Harvey became content with how dry Shane could be without removing his clothing. He took my towel and placed it and his wet towel on the counter beside the remaining stack of dry towels.

“Wait here and dry yourself off.” He briefly pointed to the remaining pile of dry towels before wheeling Shane off into the next room.

I dried my hair and face and accepted that my clothes would remain damp as I wrapped the towel around the rest of my body and let mud cake onto my pants and boots rather than dirtying the towels. I sat in a chair and waited in the lobby as Harvey wheeled him into the next room. To distract me from worrying about Shane, I wrote a letter to Marnie about what happened.

_Marnie,_

_Shane’s in the hospital with Doctor Harvey. He drank so much last night._

I wasn’t sure how to finish, how to bring up his contemplated suicide. I settled on signing my name at the bottom of the piece of paper and called it good.

Finally, Harvey returned to the lobby. He had re-tied his tie and put his green suit jacket on since I last saw him. “You can come in.”

I got up and followed him into the hospital wing of his clinic. Curtained off in the corner of the room was Shane, asleep with an IV attached to his arm.

“How is he?” I asked.

“I pumped his stomach and rehydrated his body. He’s going to be okay. It’s good that you brought him in, though.”

“Thanks, Harvey.”

Harvey curled a corner of his mouth into a half smile before looking back to Shane. He looked forlorn.

“Too much alcohol is terrible for the body, but right now I’m most worried about his mental health. When he comes to, I’ll have a chat with him about his treatment options. I know an excellent counselor in Zuzu City.”

Thank Yoba for a Harvey. I lowered my eyes and looked at my feet, feeling ashamed.

“How are you feeling, Taylor?”

Awful dread. That was what I felt. Unfortunately I was practiced in refusing to admit the full extent of my emotions. The less I share about my emotional inner workings, I learned, the less others could hurt me when they leave. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes and pretend I was completely alright.  “I almost let him go through with it, Harvey. I… I didn’t know what to say to…”

Harvey gently placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked back at him. His eyes shimmered, as if from a distant sad memory.

“Life can be painful, sometimes… but there’s always hope for a better future. You’ve got to believe in that.”

I nodded. I knew he was probably talking about Shane, but the way he looked in my eyes as he said this made it feel as if he was speaking to my soul. Before he could see me cry, I buried my head into his shoulder when I hugged him. “Thank you.” I said, careful not to let my voice crack.

Harvey froze up at first. Slowly though, he felt comfortable enough to hug back. I was surprised by how safe and at peace I felt. It had been too long since I received a comforting hug from a friend like this. “You’re welcome, Taylor.”

When I finally came to, and the few tears I did cry dried, I broke the embrace. “I should… get going. To relay word to Marnie about Shane.”

Harvey sighed deeply. “Don’t overwork yourself. And please, be safe.”

I gave a soft snort. “Thanks, Doctor. Good night.”

“Good night, Taylor.” Harvey replied as I went out the door.

Upon returning to the Cindersap Forest, I quickly cleaned up the litter Shane left behind and trashed the cans near Marnie’s ranch. I stuck my letter in her mailbox, then made my way home, not bothering to talk to Robin who may or may not have been working on the coop in the meanwhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the folks who strongly relate to Shane, I hope you have seen the suicide hotline enough times to know you can go there for help. If you need help and would prefer to reach someone else, however, message me through my Tumblr: themerrypanda. As inadequate as I may be, I’d be honored to help someone out in a time of need.


	21. Duck Tails

**Sunday, Fall 21 Year 1:**

The next morning, Shane waited, standing outside the front door.

“Good morning.” I said, pleasantly surprised at his early appearance and quick recovery.

“Hey…” he took a breath. “Oh man… uh… how do I say this?” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking ashamed. “I’m really sorry about what happened at the cliffs. That was… embarrassing…”

I felt an urge to grab his hand, but resisted. I didn’t know how comfortable he was with touch. Instead I grabbed my own. “I’m just happy you’re still here.”

“Wow, it was that serious, huh? I can hardly remember…”

Shane shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Would you like to sit?” I offered. He nodded, and we sat on a step on the porch. Nothing was said at first, but after a minute, Shane finally spoke up.

“Why did you help me?” he asked. “I’ve done nothing but be rude to you, and yet you frequently give me peppers and visit with Marnie and Jas. And after last night’s stunt, I should owe you my life. But why? What do you see in me?”

“Someone who needed help.”

“But why am I worth helping?”

“Why wouldn’t you be? You’re a living, breathing human being on this land. If that’s enough for Yoba, it’s enough for me.”

“Taylor… I don’t believe in Yoba…”

“Oh.” I don’t know why this surprised me; there were plenty of atheists in the city. I guess I got too used to believing country folk. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“And you couldn’t have. We barely talked.”

“True.” I pondered for a half a minute. “Well, Marnie and Jas seem to think you’re important. I don’t know if you see it as much as I do, but they care about you. Lots. I know they would be devastated if you were suddenly gone. They’re why I wanted to stop you.”

Shane fell quiet for a moment. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“I’ve decided I want to see a therapist.” Shane continued. “Harvey got me in touch with a colleague of his. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me.”

I smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“And I wanted you to know that I’m going to take things a little more seriously from now on. I don’t want to be a burden on anyone…”

“It’s why you hadn’t told anyone about your depression before, isn’t it?”

Shane thought for a minute. “Yeah… how’d you…?”

I gestured to myself. “Anxiety. Diagnosed with it back in kindergarten, so you could say it’s an old friend. Only within the last couple years did I realize I don't need to be ashamed of my history with it anymore. Thankfully, it doesn’t tell me I’m worthless anymore.”

“If I may ask, what does it tell you?”

I inhaled deeply, and cast my eyes on a patch of grass. This wasn’t something I easily shared with others, but for some reason it felt easy to share with Shane. “It tells me that no matter what I do, how much I learn and know, I will never be enough. That in the end, I’ll screw up, and even if it’s only once or in the smallest of ways, it’ll be enough to drive everyone away.”

Shane was quiet for half a minute while I faced away to shed a few tears at memories of former friends. “Well, you haven’t driven me away.” He finally said.

“Yet.” I scoffed.

He lightly elbowed my arm. “Hey, if you can put up with me telling you for months to go away, I think I can deal with whatever you may throw at me.”

The first clause was enough to make me smirk. “We’ll see.”

Shane glanced at his watch. “Well, I better get going. I’ll see you around, Taylor.”

He got up from the porch step and started walking towards the Cindersap Forest.

“Shane?” I called out to him. He turned around. “Thanks.”

He smiled. “Thank you.”

Shane walked down the clearing to the southern edge of the farm, and was gone. I returned inside my house and looked to my to-do list for the day. The first was putting in a building request for Robin to upgrade the barn. The second was to purchase a space heater, a duck, and maybe a second cow from Marnie, depending on my available funds.

First, of course, I tended to the farm and animals. Robin did excellent work on the coop upgrade. The coop was more spacious inside, and she extended the length of the feeding bench, allowing me to house and feed more chickens (or other animals, I supposed). Next to the hopper was another device that looked similar to the hopper, but had a plastic covering, a small heating mechanism available for it, and a letter rested on top of a bed of hay.

_ Dear Taylor, _

_ Thank you for purchasing a coop upgrade! In addition to doubling the capacity of your coop, I’ve taken the liberty of installing an incubator. _

_ To use the incubator, simply place an egg inside. If you have space left in your coop, the egg will hatch in several days! _

_ As always, thank you for your business. _

_ ~ Robin _

I definitely had to thank her for the incubator. What a nice feature; if I decided I could take on more animals over the winter, I could hatch them myself. I thought of what I could gift her while I made myself a spaghetti lunch on my new stove. When I remembered that spaghetti was her favorite meal, I doubled the batch and figured I would give Robin a plate for lunch.

Robin was more grateful for it than I expected. It was her birthday, I learned from Maru who mouthed the information to me from her father’s laboratory before returning to her room. Robin also expressed thanks for the pay and supplies for a day of work tomorrow. Before I left, she asked me about Shane.

“Maru got word from Harvey about you bringing in someone to the clinic last night. No details of course, because of doctor-patient confidentiality, but considering how small the town is, I’m sure I’ll figure out who it was soon enough. Are you doing alright?”

“Yeah,” I replied simply, not wanting to expound.

“If you ever need anything, you’re welcome to visit and talk. As little as you do speak, you still make more interesting conversation than the gossip ladies in town.”

I gave her a half-hearted smile. “Thank you, Robin.”

Perhaps I should learn to trust her more, I considered on the way back to the farm. It would be nice to have a mom away from home.

I strongly considered just heading back home and avoiding people for the rest of the day. After talking with Shane, I didn’t have much more social energy left. Nevertheless, I made my way to Marnie’s ranch so I could take a duck and/or a cow home, deciding I would relax by playing with Bella and the farm animals, old and new.

Just outside the edge of the farm, I spotted Jas crouched by a tree. She peeked out for something, or someone?

“Psst, Jas?”

She jumped slightly, then pulled me down by my wrist to crouch with her. “Shh, I’m hiding!”

“From what?” I whispered back.

“Ready or not, here I come!” A deep voice hollered.

Instinctively, I hid behind Jas and the tree. Around the corner, Shane appeared from the front of the house, hand over his eyes as he exaggeratedly looked around. I immediately understood their game, and tried to better hide myself by darting behind a bush.

Shane heard my rustling, and casually strolled over, a hint of confidence exuding from him. It struck me as odd to see this smug side of him, until I recalled his interaction with Jas at the Stardew Valley Fair.

“Princesa…” he called out. “¿Dónde estás?” 

Jas snickered softly. Still, Shane did not peer behind the tree. Instead, he parted the branches of the bush and found himself face to face with me.

His face scrunched up in confusion. “Taylor…?”

Jas jumped on his back, giggling as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Gotcha!”

Shane nearly fell over from her unexpected weight, but recovered his footing by bracing himself against the wall of Marnie’s ranch house. He then pulled Jas off of his shoulders and onto his lap. She squealed as he tickled her sides.

“Princesa, you know I’m getting too old for that.” He teased.

“No… you’re not!” Jas protested between giggles. Shane tickled her more until she begged, “no more!” He ceased his attack and let Jas climb off his lap and onto her feet, then looked at me again.

“Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?”

“Well, I came to pick up a heater and some animals from Marnie until Jas had me hide with her.”

“What kind of animals?” Jas asked.

“I was thinking of a duck and maybe a cow.”

“Aunt Marnie said a new cow wouldn’t be available until later this week.”

“But ducks shouldn’t be a problem.” Shane remarked. “Go ahead and talk to Marnie.”

I nodded and entered the main room. Marnie greeted me and happily fetched a duckling from one of her coops.

“Shane,” Marnie called as we carried the duckling out of her home. “Could you accompany Miss Taylor and her new duckling to her farm while you carry this heater over?”

“Can I come?” Jas piped in.

Shane smiled. “Sure thing, squirt.”

“Yay!”

Jas carefully held one duckling in her hands close to her chest and led the way back to my farm while Shane and I hung behind with the heater.

“You seem to be doing okay.” I commented.

“It was just an act at first.” Shane admitted in a whisper. “On my better days I can keep it up for her, then find myself enjoying it. Although that hasn’t happened too often over the past few seasons… I really owe it to her today, especially after yesterday.”

I understood where he came from. “It’s good of you to push yourself when you can. But don’t forget that you can depend on your family to help you on the bad days as well.”

He didn’t respond.

“At least think about it.” I requested.

Jas conversing with the duckling filled our silence until we reached my chicken coop. Shane guided her to gently place the duckling down on the wooden floor slats, shielding her from my two chickens who wandered over, curious about the new company, humans and duckling alike.

“What did you name your chickens?” Jas inquired.

Tender vainly strutted around us, and Nugget slowly stepped closer to the duckling. Nugget was the one to make the duckling feel more comfortable in her new home. Meanwhile, Shane carried the heater next to the incubator and installed it. He snorted when I shared the names of the chickens.

“Since Shane has made it clear that I shouldn’t be trusted with naming animals… Jas, what would you like to name this duckling?”

Jas pondered, then shrugged her shoulders.

“If I had to choose, I’d say Daffy, but unfortunately, this here is a girl.”

“Daphne?” Jas tried to repeat.

That mishearing ended up being the name of the duckling. Shane chuckled as he walked back over to us. “Good work, Jas. One of Farmer’s animals finally has a decent name.”

“Hey, now…” I protested teasingly.

I was fortunate that Daphne took to Nugget well. Tender would likely take a few days to finally accept the new addition to the family, but I could spend the rest of the evening making sure she won’t do any harm to Daphne.

“What color do you think her stripe will be?” Jas asked.

“I’m not sure, princesa.” Shane replied. “Her mother was green, but I think the drake had a blue one.”

“I’ll let you know when her feathers come in.” I offered.

Jas smiled. “Thanks.” Tender walked over to Jas and gently butted her head against Jas’s leg. She simply smiled, recognizing her to be nonthreatening. “I know, you’re just jealous because you can’t have blue feathers like the duckies can.”

Soon, Jas and Shane walked back to their home at the ranch, and I thoroughly enjoyed my alone and contemplative time talking with the chickens and Daphne Duck.


	22. Another Sad Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex’s 4 Heart Event

**Monday, Fall 22 Year 1:**

I welcomed Robin onto the farm and introduced her to Bessica so my cow would remain calm while Robin did her work expanding the barn. After the chores, I did some foraging and fishing in the Secret Woods and forest. I fished up a couple geodes and went on my way to Clint’s to open them up before his shop closed.

I didn’t get around to making it there today. While I was walking through town, I noticed for the first time a dog in the fenced-off area by the saloon. Dusty was its name, Pam told me once. Until today, I hadn’t been able to see the large brown pointy-eared dog who resided there.

I walked closer to see if I could get to pet Dusty, and maybe play with him. When I rounded the corner, I paused and saw Alex there playing with the dog.

“That’s a good boy, Dusty.” He said as he scratched around Dusty’s ears.

I smiled. Now I knew who owned Dusty. Of course it was Alex.

“You might be the only one around here who understands me.” Alex whispered sadly. “No one else has seen the kind of stuff you and I have.”

He was talking to Dusty, I realized; I wasn’t supposed to hear that. Finally, after giving Alex a few more seconds alone, I slowly walked to a corner of the fence to get a better look at Dusty. Alex noticed me, and seemed surprised to see me there.

“Taylor! Did you overhear me talking?” He looked a little panicked.

“Not really…” I lied. “Why?”

“Oh…” Alex sighed in relief, and turned back towards Dusty. “I was talking to Dusty. He and I have a lot in common, actually.”

I would have loved to make some sort of joke about how Dusty does better at attracting the ladies, but now didn’t seem like the time.

“Is he a German shepherd?” I asked.

“The animal rescue shelter said he’s mostly Belgian malinois.”

“Ah.” Dusty walked over and let me pat his head. His mellowness seemed to be due to his age. “Where is the nearest shelter?”

“Grampleton, but I got Dusty back when I lived in Zuzu City with my mom.”

“Really? What part?”

“West Harbrook.”

Ah, a lower income neighborhood. That explained Alex’s hesitance in mentioning it, or so I thought initially.

“I grew up in the Burbs.” A very average area of that world.

Alex nodded, then sighed. “I don’t usually like to talk about it… but we’ve been friends for a while now and I think I can trust you.” He inhaled while his hand traced nervously along the fence line. “Have you ever wondered why I live with my grandparents?”

Only briefly. I wondered earlier in the summer if like Haley and Emily’s parents, Alex’s parents were on an extended vacation travelling the world. An old note I found in an opened drawer in his grandparent’s bedroom revealed to me otherwise. Some time in the last two weeks I brought Evelyn a salmon she requested and a fairy rose, and after she placed the rose in a vase, she asked me to put the vase on the dresser in her bedroom. The first line in the letter caught my attention, and afterwards I regretted having found it. Since then I tread more carefully around the Mullner family.

_Momma,_

_If you’re reading this, it means I’ve passed on. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. Know that I love you both._

_Don’t be too upset; I’m with Yoba now._

_My final request: take care of Alex. He needs a family, something stable. He’s a good kid._

_~ Love, Clara_

Her name startled me at first because it was similar to my mother’s, whose name was Carla. I was afraid to reveal how much I knew to Alex, so I simply shrugged my shoulders.

“My father wasn’t a good guy.” Alex confessed bitterly. “He… Well, he ruined everything for me and my mom. Half the time he was gone, the other half he’d drink all night and tell me I’m worthless, that I’d never amount to anything.”

That would explain his mom’s desire for giving Alex a stable family in the form of his grandparents.

“I think he resented me for being young,” Alex continued. “Bitter because he’d wasted his youth doing nothing and had gotten nowhere in life.” He shrugged and turned back to Dusty. “Well, that’s my take on it, anyway. Who knows what was going on in his mind? One day he left, and soon after that, Mom got sick and passed away. I had no choice but to move in with my grandparents.”

I felt bad for him. No one deserves to go through that kind of rough upbringing, but most of all I felt badly about calling him arrogant last summer. Even if he came across as cocky at first, it couldn’t have been easy rebuilding self-esteem after someone he should have been able to trust pushed him down.

Suddenly, Alex picked his head back up. “You know what? There’s no sense dwelling on this stuff. I don’t want any sympathy from anyone. You have to look on the positive side of things. My childhood wasn’t great, but it did make me strong. I had to be.”

I admire his optimism. Although I have a wonderful family, for a long time I believed that my purpose was to be a role model, not be a burden, and (learn to) hide my anxiety. It took a while for me to rewire my brain to believe that I am lovable despite my perceived flaws, and to not fear the experiences which allow me to be a strong friend to others. Unfortunately, I still have a ways to go before I can restore my faith in friendships and trust others outside of my family to not suddenly abandon or betray me.

Alex reached into an inside pocket of his letterman’s jacket and pulled out a sealed plastic bag. “Here, let me show you what Dusty will do for a barbecued steak.” Alex pulled out the marinated steak, at the sight of which Dusty got very excited. We laughed at the drool that dripped from his jaws.

“Ha! Look at him slobbering. I think he might like steak as much as I do.”

Alex went on to show me some tricks Dusty could do, including hopping the fence. It had been a while since I last played with my family’s dogs, so playing with Dusty was a real treat. I made sure to thank Alex not only for the time with Dusty, but also his trust, before I left.


	23. Superstition Ain’t The Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus’s 4 Heart (and Pam’s 2 Heart) Event

**Tuesday, Fall 23 Year 1:**

I swung by the Calico Desert for a couple hours early afternoon, mostly for more cactus fruits and coconuts. Regardless, Sandy was happy to chat.

“How was the Stardew Valley Fair?” she asked.

“What is it usually like?”

“Plenty of food, a few grange displays, five or so game booths, a fortune teller, a petting zoo, and a couple clowns.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I only saw one clown this year.”

“Bummer.” Sandy muttered. “Emily has told me about the town budget for the festival shrinking. Did you at least win the grange display?”

“Close.” I smirked. “If I wasn’t bent on pranking Mayor Lewis, I may have stood a chance. Informally, I think I got second place.”

“Hey, not bad for your first year as a farmer!”

“Thanks, Sandy.”

“My name’s not Sandy, you know,” she corrected me. “It’s just good for business.”

“Emily mentioned that your name is Cassandra. Would you rather I call you that?”

Sandy froze for a moment. “It’s been a while since someone called me that… I made the mistake of changing my nickname from Cassie to Sandra when I moved here, and of course, this being the desert and all, someone shortened it to Sandy and that stuck. Everyone calls me Sandy anyway, so I've just gotten used to it.” She then shook her head. “You may continue to call me Sandy, though.”

“Alright, Sandra.” I joked as I hovered by the entrance door to the Oasis. “I’ll see you around.”

“Bye, Taylor!”

Pam and I chatted some on the ride back to town. Apparently before she started bus driving for Pelican Town she was a trucker who drove all around Stardew Valley.

“I used to deliver several farmers’ produce around all the local stores, your grandpappy included.”

“How well did you know Grandpa?”

Pam shrugged. “Well enough to do business with him. We weren’t awfully close, but he always made sure I had enough work to support Penny, something I took for granted until he passed away.”

I didn’t reply immediately. Hearing of how kind and helpful Grandpa was sometimes led me to wondering if I could ever really live up to his legacy. I didn’t see myself as being able to grow nearly enough crops to support a new trucking job anytime soon.

“Sometimes, I miss my old trucking job. I used to go all around the valley, meetin’ people, listenin’ to the radio…” Pam sighed. “Times sure do change.”

“That they do.” I whispered to myself.

Soon we returned to Pelican Town’s bus stop. I asked her if she wanted to walk to the Stardrop Saloon with me. As happy as she was with the offer, she decided to stay behind to take care of some bus maintenance first, so I walked alone to the saloon for dinner. I would be the first customer of the usually unbusy evening.

“Hey, Gus!”

“Hi, Taylor.”

The cheer in his voice didn’t match the gloom in his eyes. Rather than behind the counter, Gus was at one of the patron tables, dismally looking at paperwork.

“Are you alright, Gus?”

He sighed deeply and gestured to his paperwork. “I’m just looking over last month’s earnings… and it’s not looking very good, Taylor. The worst thing… and I hate to say this because she’s my friend… is Pam! She hasn’t paid off her tab in weeks! But I can’t ask her to do it. I know she’ll get defensive, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

Gus looked to me with desperation in his eyes. “Taylor, you gotta help me! I might have to shut down the saloon if she doesn’t pay, but I can’t lose her business either, or else I’ll just delay the inevitable.”

Just then, Pam caught up to me and entered the saloon, a smile on her face telling me she hadn’t overheard my conversation with Gus.

“Hiya! Gus, I’m awful thirsty, if you catch my drift.”

I could see Gus groaning internally. “Er… well, okay Pam.”

Pam didn’t miss his reluctance, and suspected I may have something to do with it. “Taylor, what’s going on here?” She asked with a hint of hostility in her voice.

I looked to Gus, who seemed to be okay with whatever I would have to say to her. “The saloon isn’t doing well, financially speaking.” I replied.

“Oh.” Pam’s anger vanished. “It isn’t? That’s terrible!”

I read a series of emotions on her face, ranging from angry, to saddened, to accepting. Finally, she sighed. “Well, I guess I’d better pay off that tab, then.” She reached into her wallet and pulled out a good sum of money, much of which came from her new earnings as a bus driver. She walked over to us then gave the money to Gus. “This much, right?”

Gus exhaled in relief. “Yes, this is exactly it. Thanks, Pam! And thank you, Taylor.”

“Just happy to help when I can, Gus.”

Gus smiled widely, then turned to the counter and placed the money in the cash register. “Now, Pam, let’s get you that drink.”

While he poured Pam a caramel porter, I dropped a few coins into the jukebox to play some Stevie Wonder tunes. I figured it was a nice way to give him a larger tip, plus I knew the three of us liked several of his songs. By the time I returned home for bed,  _ Superstition _ was stuck in my head.


	24. Incentives

**Wednesday, Fall 24 Year 1:**

Forgive me, Yoba. I have sinned.

Why is Wednesday the day Pierre chooses to close his shop? Seriously, like why not Sunday? He has a chapel in his shop that he could relax and tend to that day? But Wednesday? There’s always something happening in the middle of the week.

Rant over. I’m just annoyed that I forgot I ran out of cooking oil the other day, and in order to get more, I had to go to the JojaMart. I slunk in at the same time Sam clocked in for work, and he slipped me a coupon to bring the cost down to Pierre’s price in exchange for a request to check the noticeboard. Fortunately, I already saw his request when I tried going to Pierre’s earlier:

> _Need gold bar for a project I’m working on. 750g on delivery._
> 
> _~ Sam_

“So, what’s this project you’re working on?” I asked him.

“It’s a surprise for Spirit’s Eve. You’ll see.” He grinned wickedly.

“Costume?”

“Something like that.”

“A contest?”

“Nothing that big, sadly. Some people dress up, others don’t. I’ve been trying to convince Mayor to hold a costume contest the past few years now, but I’m convinced he doesn’t want to involve any of my brilliant ideas in holidays for his precious Pelican Town.”

“Because you’ll use them to prank him?”

“Hey!” He feigned offense. “I don’t always prank him. Only when he deserves it. Which happens to be all the time…”

“Ha ha.”

We heard a whistle. “Sam, get to work.”

“Yeah, boss!” Sam threw on his hat and headphones and walked to the janitorial closet. “Talk to you later, Taylor.”

I nodded and turned away. It took each fiber of my being to not jump at the sudden appearance of Morris by my side.

“Afternoon, Miss Taylor.”

“Afternoon, Mr. Morris.” I curtly replied.

Morris clasped his fingers together and he sneered. “I heard from corporate weeks ago that you were once an employee of ours at the Zuzu City location. For a few years, too.” He reached in his suit pocket for a small clipboard, pen and paper. “Would you be willing to fill out this survey about your experience?”

I exhaled slowly, not realizing I was holding my breath. “What’s my incentive?”

Morris chuckled. “Must you have one for each thing you do for Joja?”

After getting swindled out of six hours of pay in one week from clocking out before store clean-up instead of after, yes. “How long is the survey?”

“Six questions.”

“How many subsections per question?”

Morris glanced at the paper. “Ten multiple choice questions and one written part in each of the question categories.”

“Let’s see…” I did some quick math in my head. “Say it takes a minute to do four multiple choice questions, and that’s being generous with an honest and thoughtful response for each of those questions, and two minutes per written part… that makes it twelve minutes for the written questions… and fifteen minutes for the multiple choice… 27 minutes, nearly half an hour. That would be 5g of pay for a minimum wage worker that’s a minor, not accounting for inflation over the past ten years…” (That was my foolish stab at insulting Morris for the low wage he offered Pierre years ago which he probably long forgot about.) “But as I have a bachelor’s degree and a few years of work experience… that ought to be at least 100g for my work, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Morris?”

He thought for a moment. “How about 200g off of your payment for a Joja Membership?” He counteroffered. “That should cover about an hour of work at your old job. Though I’m surprised you hadn’t gotten a Joja Membership before you came out here.”

Another swindling tactic. Meant to ensure you pay in order to see the reward. Though he was right about 200g covering an hour of work at the old desk job, I didn’t want to see in the form of something that required me to “spend” it at Joja Co.

“I prefer cash.”

“250g off a membership. Take it or leave it. I’ll even let you think about it before you pay to my lovely cashier over there.”

Morris gestured to the tired cashier behind us.

“I’ll think about it.” I repeated, and he grinned as he handed me the survey.

“I look forward to seeing from you again, Miss Taylor.”

“If only I could say the same, Master Morris.” I muttered under my breath as soon as he paraded to his preferred place behind a desk overlooking the JojaMart.

I ducked into an aisle and intentionally found my way to the next aisles at the end farthest away from Morris as possible. Finally, I found Shane stocking salsas and he directed me to the cooking oils.

“You’re not actually going to get a Joja Membership from him, are you?” he asked.

“Course not.” I scoffed. Someone needed to stand up for the junimos.

Shane sighed in relief. “Good.”

“If it matters that much to you, why do you care? You work for him.”

“And that there is exactly why I care.” Shane resumed stocking the shelves.

Suddenly my question seemed stupid. Of course you want the villain in your story to lose, to be punished for their bad behavior, or at minimum, stop being rewarded for it. I thanked him again for his direction, grabbed the smallest bottle of cooking oil available, and went to the checkout.

“Would you like to purchase a Joja Membership today?” the cashier droned.

“No thanks.”

She nodded and charged me for the cooking oil, and I left her a blank survey.

“Don’t let my dad bully you into doing what he wants.” She muttered.

I thought I misheard for a moment. “Wait…”

“You heard me right.” The cashier, Bree judging by her nametag, passed me a small plastic bag with the cooking oil and receipt. “My husband’s the breadwinner. He’s a dentist in the next town over. I just work here because no one else in Pelican Town will. Plus it gets me a break from the kids. Two young’uns.” She bounced the bag, which was still in her hand. “You can leave now.”

I quickly took the bag. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for shopping with us.” Her voice returned to a drone.

During the jaunt back to the farm, I pondered. I had not expected Bree to open up like that. Her sudden story surprised me, and reminded me that even the perceived villain is human. It is easy to be unkind to the bad guy when you turn them into a monster in your head instead of acknowledging their humanity.

When I returned home, I quickly made fried mushrooms with the cooking oil I had gone into the JojaMart for in the first place. I saved some for my dinner and delivered the remainder for George for his birthday. He was alone at home while Evelyn tended to the town’s flower beds and Alex “canoodled with Haley”. He was impressed that I even remembered his birthday, let alone I managed to bring him a meal (a favorite I determined from when I sat with his family for dinner).

I spent the rest of the evening mining for gold ore and smelted one bar before I went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long with this chapter. I literally came up with the Morris subplot just yesterday.


	25. Black Eggs Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin’s 6 Heart Event

**Thursday, Fall 25 Year 1:**

I woke briefly in the middle of the night. I had dreamed that the Wicked Witch of the West came to kidnap my cat Bella, but when I woke up, Bella was sitting on my face. I could only hear a strong breeze outside, and I believe I imagined the Wicked Witch’s cackle in the wind.

Many hours later, the day started off as usual. The only evidence of an unusual event was that of Nugget tending to a jet-black egg with red speckles. This black egg was warmer than the regular white and brown eggs, which have been becoming larger. Was something alive inside? On a whim, I decided to place it in the incubator. Perhaps a chicken would hatch from it? If nothing happens before mid-way through winter, I’ll discard it.

After tending to the farm, I brought Sam the gold bar he requested. He didn’t give me any new clues on what his plans were for the gold bar. Next I made my way to Robin’s workshop. If I was to benefit from the remaining hay growing on the farm, I needed a silo built before the first day of winter.

Robin was near her counter and was using a dry rag on a saw.

“Hello, Robin.”

Robin glanced up and smiled. “Hi Taylor. I was just cleaning some dust off my saw.” She took a minute to finish up, place her rag on the counter, and store the saw. “Have you ever made anything out of wood, Taylor?”

I shrugged. “I made a makeshift fence.” Its quality could definitely be improved, but I wasn’t sure on where to start on that project yet, so I left it as is. It served its purpose of keeping my farm animals close to the barn and coop well enough.

“Great, then this blueprint should be a piece of cake for you!”

“A blueprint?” I asked.

“Of course!” Robin grinned. “I think we’ve become good enough friends that I can trust you with my carpentry secrets! Here, let me show you the blueprints.”

She showed me two sets of blueprints. One was particularly simple; it consisted of a hollowed block with a lever that when pressed produced a sound like that of a beat drum. The second block had a similar mechanism but also had a few more holes in the block and a dial. This block produced a flute whistle noise that could change pitch by turning the dial that gradually opened or closed off the holes.

“These are flute and drum blocks.” Robin explained. “You can use these to get creative on your farm. You can also arrange these so they function like a windchime.”

“Neat.” I was impressed with the detail that allowed for the wood to function this way. “This gives me a good winter project when I can’t work as much.” I smiled. “Thank you, Robin.”

“Of course! My kiddos loved making and playing with these growing up. Still, once in a blue moon, Maru or Sebastian will arrange them outside so that they play a song. It feels good to be able to decorate your house with things you’ve made yourself!”

“I agree.” I whispered.

I’ve been a minimalist in decorating for far too long, I decided. Next season was the time to celebrate the Day of the Winter Star, so there ought to be opportunities to purchase decorations before the day of, like at the Night Market that Rina talked about. I’ll still have to budget spending, of course.


	26. Bingle Bangle Bongo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haley’s 6 Heart Event

**Friday, Fall 26 Year 1:**

The air felt especially crisp and chilly today. Almost coincidentally, I received the following letter in the mail from Mayor Lewis:

_Dear Taylor,_

_Notice a chill in the air? It could be the approach of winter…_

_Or it could be the tingle of a dark specter, here to help us celebrate tomorrow’s festival… the Spirit’s Eve._

_Come to town at 10 PM if you’d like to participate._

_~ Mayor Lewis_

I’m already looking forward to the next festival.

I went to the beach to put down some new crab pots I built and bait them. When I arrived, I saw Haley desperately pacing the beach, tears threatening to stream from her eyes. She looked up just long enough to notice me, then flagged me over.

“Taylor! Come here, quick!”

“What happened?”

“My bracelet is gone!” She sobbed. “I know I had it on when I got here, but now it’s gone and I can’t find it anywhere.” Haley paused to wipe the tears from her face. “I’ll never find another one like it…”

This couldn’t have been a generic bracelet you could find at a Charming Charlie’s at the mall, I realized. If she shops as often as it seems she does, Haley’s smart enough to know she could replace it if it was something that common.

I stood next to her and patted her shoulder. “I’m really sorry, Haley…”

Haley wiped another tear from her eye and sighed. “…Maybe it’ll wash up on another shore. I can’t bear to think of it at the bottom of the ocean.” She knelt in the sand. “I’m sorry, Great-Grandma. I lost your precious bracelet. Please forgive me.”

My hunch was right; the bracelet she lost wasn’t replaceable. Could she have dropped it nearby?

“Did you go on the docks earlier?”

Haley nodded. “Just for a little bit. I wanted to take some pictures of the sunrise before anyone else made it out here, and wandered all over the beach to find the best shots. I got some great pictures… but if I could, I’d trade all of them for my bracelet in a heartbeat.”

I patted her shoulder once. “Here. I’ll go check over by the tide pools. You can search over on this side of the beach. If no luck, I try my luck wading into water.”

Haley sniffed. “Okay.”

We parted ways and got searching. I would have liked to make conversation while we searched, but I didn’t want to disturb Willy or Elliott, so instead I pondered to myself what the bracelet would look like, if I would notice it right away.

I picked up a few loose corals and sea urchins, but there was no sign of any bracelet in the tide pools. There was no sign of anything in the trees and bushes at the edge of the beach either. Finally, I gave up on that side of the beach and walked across the wooden bridge back over towards Haley. Gauging from her search pattern, I realized she hadn’t checked around Elliott’s cabin yet, so I decided to search around there as well.

Off to the right of his cabin under a stonecrop bush, I found a small golden band adorned with a silvery blue pearl. Was this the bracelet she lost? I picked it up.

“Hey, Haley, what does your bracelet look like?” I asked as I walked over to her.

“It’s a golden bangle with a blue faux pearl made of glass.”

It sounded like the bracelet I found. “Like this?” I showed her the circlet.

Haley looked at the bracelet in the palm of my hand, her eyes growing wide. “Is that…” She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. “You found it!” She carefully slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and held me in a hug. I stiffened immediately. Besides my family, I couldn’t recall the last time someone gave me a hug. I had hugged Harvey a couple weeks ago, but that was different; I initiated that one.

“Thank you so much, Taylor. You’re a lifesaver.” Haley squeezed me tightly, and I felt a single tear land on my neck. “I won’t forget what you did for me here.”

Slowly, I returned the hug, holding as long as Haley seemed to need. “You’re welcome.”

Haley would finally break the hug and head back to her home to go through her closet. I spent the afternoon baiting crab pots and foraging in the woods until evening.

As per tradition, I played billiards with Sebastian and Abigail in the saloon for the usual Friday night get-together. Only this time, Sam was absent, and he never showed up.

“What’s up with Sam?” I asked.

“He wanted to stay at home to babysit his brother for his mom and work on his costume. The Spirit’s Eve festival is tomorrow.” Sebastian answered, after knocking two solid-colored balls into the pool table’s pockets with one shot. “Are you looking forward to the festival? It’s probably my favorite.”

“I know it’s mine!” Abigail said merrily. “Will I see you tomorrow at the Spirit’s Eve festival?”

“Of course!” I replied. Back in university it was probably my favorite holiday. Seeing a handful of teachers and students dress up in a large variety of costumes, some on a cosplay level of looking like their character, brought a smile to my face even if I had an exam that day. It was a welcome respite from the stress of school.

Abigail grinned. “Great! Look for me in the haunted maze.”

“Alright, I’ll see you there.”

“I really hope they have those skeletons on display again this year.” Sebastian said.

“Skeletons?”

“Oh yeah!” Sebastian suddenly lowered his voice. “Like the ones in the mines.” He must have seen my eyes widen in a panic, because he quickly followed that up with: “If it’s like last year, they’ll be in a cage and Marlon, the head of the Adventurer’s Guild, will make sure they can’t hurt anyone.”

“Okay, nice.” I finally said with a sense of relief.

“I almost feel like they’re my friends at this point.”

“ _They’re_ your friends?” Abigail raised her eyebrows. “What about us?”

“Eh, you guys are okay, I guess.” Sebastian teased back. It may have been the beer he drank, but I thought I saw his cheeks color at Abigail’s mild tease.

Regardless, he still won that billiards match.


	27. Spirit’s Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was already a little late in writing this chapter to completion, then reached the point where it was closer to the end of September, so I decided to release this in October for Halloween. So, huzzah. Happy Halloween!

**Saturday, Fall 27 Year 1:**

Spirit’s Eve at last!

The time I’ve been spending on the farm has gradually decreased as winter neared and effort would be vain in planting more seeds. I simply reaped what harvest remained.

I came across Haley again while I was gathering some forageables in the Cindersap Forest. She was taking some fall photos by the pond, and was wearing the bracelet from yesterday. When she noticed me, she smiled and snapped a picture.

“Hi Taylor! Thanks again for yesterday. Did I ever tell you I found another one of my great-grandma's bracelets in the attic?”

“Oh yeah?”

“She was a really interesting lady. She travelled everywhere, collecting some jewels and offering help to soup kitchens and orphanages wherever she went. My parents are actually out travelling to tour some of the places she’s been and collect stories about her.”

“That’s pretty neat!” And not too terribly different from what I’ve done occasionally here in Pelican Town.

Haley smiled and went on her way home. I then returned home and spent the rest of the afternoon searching through my limited clothing supplies for a simple costume I could throw together for Spirit's Eve. After a few minutes, I settled on the fedora I won at the Stardew Valley Fair, a long-sleeved teal green shirt, a clean pair of jeans, and orange sneakers. I was going to be a low-key Perry the Platypus; low-key to gauge how into costumes the town would get into and see if anyone would realize I dressed up.

Marnie was the first to greet me. She and Jas both dressed as Cinderella, Marnie as the servant girl using mostly clothes she already regularly wore, and Jas with a bright blue dress instead of her usual preference for purple, and hair decorated with old butterfly clips.

“Hi, Taylor.” Marnie waved.

“Hi Marnie, hi Jas!”

“Have you had a productive fall? It’s starting to get quite cold… crops won’t hold out for much longer.”

“My fall harvest has been pretty good, thank you.”

I was interrupted by a clang against metal bars. I looked over and spotted a cage with two skeletons walking around inside.

“Don’t get too close to the cage.” Marlon warned Clint, who took a step back and muttered something about how one of his iridium-infused maces would make quick work of the skeleton things. Neither of them dressed as something different from their usual attire.

Sebastian also stood at the cage, with a barely safe distance between him and the bars. After dismissing myself from Marnie, I walked over to Sebastian. I immediately recognized his wooden staff, dark gray robes (over his usual black attire), and fake beard. He was Gandalf the Gray.

“I have no idea how these skeletons are walking… creepy.” He didn’t seem nervous; rather, I think he found them fascinating. Does he know about the skeletons that walk around in the mines? I don’t know how those ones walk around either, and for the sake of mining for gems and ores, I wish they didn’t walk and yeet bones around.

There were four tables set up for treats and drinks. Emily and Leah were at one; lumberjack Leah in a plaid shirt and a beanie happily snacked on blackberries, and Emily in antennae and a wispy polychromatic cape resembling butterfly wings waved me over. She asked me how I liked the jack-o-lanterns. She had carved them herself. Emily was able to do fun patterns and faces, and even shading, stuff I wouldn’t be able to accomplish myself. I had to applaud her work.

I helped myself to a slice of pumpkin pie and a sugar cookie shaped as a pumpkin with eyes and a mouth from candies. The cookie was probably my favorite treat of the evening, followed closely by white chocolate pretzels and marshmallows made to look like bones. I also enjoyed the pumpkin ale, which Gus told me was nonalcoholic and intended to resemble pumpkin juice like from the Harry Potter wizarding world. “It’s a lot of fun to cook with pumpkin. Such an interesting fruit.”

It was then that I more fully realized how the tables’ theme is supposed to be the four Hogwarts houses, and Gus himself was wearing a baggy brown vest and boots and a large black beard and wig to resemble Rubeus Hagrid. Emily and Leah were at the yellow Hufflepuff table, Robin and Demetrius at the blue Ravenclaw table, and Pam and Elliott at the red Gryffindor table. The final table, the green Slytherin table, had a sniffling Vincent in a dinosaur costume hiding underneath with a handful of gummy spiders and gummy worms.

“M– Mother won’t let me go in the maze.” He sobbed. Behind me, I could hear Jodi talking with Caroline. Jodi wore mouse ears and painted whiskers on her face and wore a red dress with white polka dots.

“Vincent’s upset that I won’t let him go into the haunted maze… but he’s just a little boy!” Jodi exclaimed.

Caroline sighed. She wore a low effort costume, a fluffy white coat and bunny ears on her head. “Abby was like that at his age. Pierre suggested that I go through with her the next year.”

“Did you?” asked Jodi.

“No!” Caroline shook her head. “She went on her own the next year. As for me, I get scared very easily. I’ll leave the haunted maze to the younger people. Besides, it’s too chilly.”

“Well, winter’s almost here.” Robin called to her. She then lowered her voice and talked with herself. “It’s a great time to stockpile wood and stone.”

“Good evening Taylor.”

I jumped slightly at hearing Mayor Lewis’s voice suddenly beside me, dressed in his usual attire. “Evenin’, Mayor.” I replied.

“Have you ventured into the haunted maze yet?” He asked, and I shook my head. “It’s quite spooky. That strange man who lives in the tower set it all up himself. He wouldn’t let anyone near while he was working on it… What the–!”

Lewis cut himself off before he accidentally cursed aloud. Vincent looked up, and giggled, his lungs threatening to give out. Willy turned around, and his jaw dropped as he muttered, “Dear Yoba…” before taking off from the festival to smoke his pipe. Finally, I turned around, and from his home came Sam. He was sporting a brown beret, a gray fake mustache, a green shirt with a yellow tie, suspenders, and… Mayor Lewis’s lucky purple shorts, featuring a gold trim.

My hand flew to my mouth to avoid bursting in laughter. Thankfully, Marnie laughed first, and a few others in town chuckled as well.

“How do you do, fellow kids?” Sam asked with a mischievous grin across his face.

“Sam!” Lewis grew so angry, there might have been steam spewing out of his ears to match his red face. He marched up to Sam.

“Yeah, Mister Mayor?”

“I demand that you return those… shorts, at once!”

“Return the shorts at once?” Sam shrugged. “Alright, if you say so.” He took a step back, stuck his thumbs under the shorts, and shed them clean off. Many women of the town gasped, while Abigail gave a wolf-whistle. Sebastian, Alex, and even Shane, smiled. Under the purple shorts, Sam wore his own shiny golden boxers.

Lewis was not impressed. In fact, he looked even more furious at Sam’s audacity to undress in public. Sam, seeming to have foreseen this response, whipped out a pair of loose brown pants and put them on immediately. He then looked at Lewis and raised his eyebrows as he held out the purple shorts.

“What? You jealous my shorts look better than yours?”

Lewis said nothing as he took the shorts. He then glared at me.

“I had nothing to do with it.” I said honestly.

Still discontented, he made his gloriously awkward walk to his manor, shorts in tow. He finally acquired the shorts he had asked me to find early last summer, but at what cost?

Folks awkwardly returned to their usual conversations, and several people went up towards the town fountain. Elliott, who sat at the farthest corner of the table, drank a glass of pumpkin ale as he read through a book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the Sherlock Holmes stories. He had tied back his hair with a black ribbon and wore a billowing black cape and white mask resembling that of the Phantom of the Opera’s.

“Why hello Taylor.” He said without glancing up from his book. “It’s chilly, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes it is.” I reached for an eyeball deviled egg.

“Sam wasn’t the only one playing tricks on Mayor Lewis.”

“Oh?” I tried to avoid seeming suspicious. “What makes you say that?”

Elliott spoke in a quieter voice. “Bold question for the one who managed to retrieve the purple shorts in the first place.” He glanced up from his book with a twinkle in his eye.

So much for trying to hide my association with the shorts. “How soon did you figure it out?” I whispered.

“In truth, I first suspected at the Luau, but then I watched you place them in your grange display. Sam wearing them just now explains how the shorts disappeared without you being near your display.”

“You’ve been watching that closely?” I asked cautiously.

“You’ve made for a good example of a background character sneaking around before the great reveal. It has helped me come up with an accurate and plausible description of how someone appears so discrete.”

“Oh.” I felt awkward, but also curious. “While I’m at it, is there something specific you want me to accomplish so you know how to write it?”

Elliott pondered for a moment, then an idea flashed through his brain. “How discretely can you find a key, pick it up, and put it in your pocket?”

My eyes skittered towards a silver key placed next to his mug of pumpkin ale. “How about you see sometime in the next ten minutes?”

He shrugged. “Very well.”

I nodded, bidding him goodbye as I talked to Pam across the table. She wore no costume, but happily helped herself to the Spirit’s Eve themed snacks and sandwiches.

“Town drama or not, I’ll come to any event with free grub! You won’t see me in the haunted maze, though.” She helped herself to another hot dog wrapped in cornbread like a mummy. It was while I reached for a tombstone cracker in a dip when I also grabbed the key, dropped it into my pocket, then walked past Robin and Demetrius.

“I haven’t seen Maru in hours… I hope she’s alright.” Demetrius worried aloud.

“She’s probably with Penny in the haunted maze. She’ll be fine.” Robin suggested. When she glanced at me, a gust of chilly wind blew, and she shuddered. Demetrius was not dressed up, but Robin sported a neat spider hat and a long-sleeved black shirt with a white spider-web pattern.

I went up to Pierre’s little shop. He wore a black suit with a top hat and red bowtie, and a monocle dangled on a gold chain from his breast pocket, and a wooden cane rested against his stand. (The Monopoly guy without the bushy white mustache?) I then browsed his humble selection, and purchased a witch scarecrow and a jack-o-lantern carving guide to use for next Spirit’s Eve.

“Why is there no more pumpkin ale?” I heard Shane groan. Besides his usual attire, he wore a pirate hat and red scarf hastily tied to the side as if a child tied it.

“No, Uncle Shane, you gotta say it like Jack Sparrow!” Jas protested.

“ _ Captain _ Jack Sparrow.” Shane corrected. “And why is the rum gone?”

Jas giggled loudly. Suddenly, Haley came out of the entrance of the maze screaming. She wore a green, white, and gold cheerleading uniform with SVHS blazed on the front. On her wrists she also wore a few old-fashioned bracelets like the one from her great-grandmother, and she carried two shimmery gold pom-poms.

“Eek! I’m too scared.” She yelped, then after relaxing her breathing, she retreated to one of the four snack tables for two slices of apple glued together with peanut butter and marshmallows to look like teeth.

Intrigued, I decided to try my luck in the maze. Before that, however, I made my way back to the Hogwarts themed snack tables and stealthily returned Elliott’s key to his coat pocket. I didn’t want to risk accidentally taking it home and leaving Elliott unable to return to his home after the festival.

Near the beginning, I went straight through a three-way fork. I surprised Harvey by finding him hiding in a dead end. “Oh!” he jumped. “You found me.” He had left his hair untidier than usual, but he wore a brown coat with a multi-colored scarf that fell to his knees. The Fourth Doctor. Suiting.

“Please tell me you have a sonic screwdriver to go with that costume.” I hoped aloud.

He did, and the correct one for the doctor he dressed as too. I was impressed when he pulled it out from his inside coat pocket.

I started to leave the dead end, then asked him if he was going to leave as well.

“Er… the truth is, I got too scared so I came here to hide.” He confessed. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Without thinking anything of it, I promised him I wouldn’t, then made my way out. I returned to the fork and made a left. I followed that path until I found Maru. She wore a deep blue dress with stars and planets and held her hair in a bun and a purple headband.

“Miss Frizzle?” I asked.

Maru smiled and nodded, then continued to wander behind me. When she reached a jack-o-lantern at a bend, she muttered to herself. “I think I’ve already been this way… no, wait…” Finally, she sighed. “I’m lost… wait, there’s the entrance.” She then turned to me. “I’m going to call it quits tonight. Good luck in there!”

“Thanks!”

Maru left the maze, presumably for snacks and treats. I retraced my steps and found a loop in the maze path. I worked out of it, and knew I made progress when I found zombified hands reaching up from the ground. Slowly getting over the fear that a hand would reach out, grab my ankle, and pull me into the ground, I followed the path of hands to a hut standing on chicken legs. This was all a reference to an eerie Russian folk tale, I realized. This was Baba Yaga’s hut.

In front of the hut was Penny, who told me that the hut was locked. Penny wore a red cloak over her regular outfit and carried a picnic basket to resemble Red Riding Hood. She peered into a cauldron of green liquid. I recalled the potion Wizard Rasmodius had me drink last spring, and had to keep from gagging as I stepped away from the odor. I asked Penny if she was planning on coming along, as this was another dead end, but she shook her head in a daze.

“The vapor from this cauldron…” she muttered. “It’s making my head spin, but I can’t seem to leave…”

Quickly I fought my nausea, held my breath, and pulled Penny away from the cauldron, sitting her down at the steps of the hut. I didn’t want to risk her passing out due to noxious gas. She began recovering almost immediately.

“Thanks.” She breathed. “I’ll catch up to you later.”

“Keep away from the cauldron the best you can.” I warned her.

Penny nodded, then I retraced my steps to another path among the zombie hands. I turned into it and found myself facing a static television screen. When I glanced away I could’ve sworn I saw a picture in the television, but I didn’t want to chance looking long enough to see some shocking image.

Further along the maze, I found Alex carrying a gridball and wearing a gridball helmet over his usual letterman’s jacket. I then realized I hadn’t seen Evelyn nor George that evening, and when I asked him about it, he explained that they wanted to retire early for the night. They enjoyed some snacks, but for the most part, they tired of Spirit’s Eve. It was also George’s least favorite holiday, but from what I could tell from Alex’s body language, the reason why wasn’t his story to tell.

I started to continue on through the maze, then paused when I realized Alex wasn’t following. “Are you coming, Alex?”

He shook his head, and gestured at the patch of hedges he had been pacing back and forth around. “There’s something weird over there. I think it may have something to do with the end of the maze. But how do I get to it?” Having not seen anything suspicious in the area of interest, and being curious about the sound of flowing water ahead, I wished Alex good luck and continued into the maze. “There’s got to be a secret passage somewhere around here.” He muttered to himself as he continued his search.

Soon, I found myself at the town fountain. From a path, I saw Abigail with a frozen, silent terror on her face as she ran towards me at the fountain, then sat on the fountain ledge as she slowed her rapid breathing. She had her hair in a ponytail and wore a white tank top and an unzipped orange jumpsuit with the sleeves tied around the waist to resemble Chell from the Portal video games.

“I can’t go on…” she panted. “Spiders…”

She continued to believe this even after taking a few deep breaths. Abigail retreated out of the maze, and I decided to press forward. Eventually I found the spiders she talked about. Dozens of little spiders wandered around a couple large fake spiders. I stepped around them quickly.

Finally, I made it to the playground that was west of the run-down community center. The large playground structure was removed, replaced by a few gravestones and false skulls and bones. In the mini-graveyard was Sam, who wandered along a hedge.

“That’s odd…” he muttered to himself. “It’s just a dead end up ahead. I could’ve sworn there was someone ahead of me when I went through the maze, though. Where’d they go?”

“Hey, Sam!”

He turned to face me, and grinned. “Hey Taylor.”

“Great costume.” I finally said.

“Thanks!” He subconsciously glanced down to his attire. “I heard somewhere that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and I thought Mayor could use some.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he loved having you wear his brightly colored shorts for all the town to see. Not to mention the strip tease after.”

Sam chuckled with me. “Heh, honestly, the guy’s too uptight. Doesn’t know how to have fun beyond a few certain things, and doesn’t want anyone else to come up with new ways to have fun.”

I shrugged. I could see both Sam’s perception and Mayor Lewis’s concern about not permitting dangerous activities, but for the most part I agreed with Sam.

“Anything interesting beyond this graveyard?” I asked.

“Other than a dead end and a sign, nothing. That’s why I think there’s some secret path around here. Alex thinks so too, but he’s looking at a different part of the maze.”

“I’ll go take a look at the sign. Thanks!”

Sam casually waved goodbye, and I followed the last visible passage through the maze. I found the sign he talked about; a giant question mark was printed on a sign that sat in the corner of the maze pass. No wonder he and Alex were so confused! And I was too.

I only managed to find the end of the maze because I accidentally tripped. I don’t know what I tripped on, but suddenly I fell forward past the question-mark sign and where there should have been a hedge, I fell through, landing on my hands in grass. When I got back up, I stood right in front of the hedge again. I reach out to touch the hedge, but feel nothing. I take a breath and step into the bush.

I felt nothing still, but found myself on the other side of the hedge. That particular patch of hedge was an optical illusion, projected by… magic? Probably, since Rasmodius made the maze. The blue fire lighting was dimmer on this size of the hedge, and at first I thought I had wandered into a forbidden area. And that was when I found a cave in the side of the hill that I had never seen before. Curious, I activate my glow ring and go in. As I navigated my way through the cave, I overheard two voices talking with each other. They were Linus and Wizard Rasmodius, I realized.

“The affairs of mundane folk matter little to me, but the elementals like a chance to see you up close.” Rasmodius explained to Linus. “It was for them that I created this silly maze.”

A pause, then a hum of approval from Linus. “Good show, old friend.”

Finally, I made my way through the cave, and there, surrounded by hedges, was a wooden treasure chest. The end of the maze! I opened the chest and pulled out a golden pumpkin. Victory was mine! I glanced up above the hill, spotted the Wizard and Linus, wearing their usual attire, and gave them a small wave. They smiled and waved back, and then after one last trip to the snack tables for more treats, I returned home.


	28. Hay Day

**Sunday, Fall 28 Year 1:**

Gunther was waiting outside my front door this morning. It doesn’t cease to surprise me that people who wake so late in the morning will show up first thing in the morning to catch me before I start on farm work.

“Oh, good morning Miss Taylor! I hope it’s not too early…” He took his hat off his head and held it in front of him while he scratched his head.

“Not at all, Gunther. What is it?”

He smiled shyly as he put his hat back on his head. “Well, I just wanted to stop by and thank you in person for all the wonderful artifacts and minerals you’ve discovered. You’ve done so much for one person! In fact, I’ve just received a letter from the office of the regional secretary of artifacts. We’re being honored with the coveted ‘Golden Shovel’ award for our significant contributions to the field! And it’s all thanks to you!”

“That’s exciting!” I cheered. “I’m glad to hear the museum’s doing so well.”

His smile grew into a beaming grin. “Well, I should let you get back to your work…”

He turned to return to town, only to quickly snap back around at the bottom steps of the front porch. “Oh! I almost forgot! I have a gift for you…” He reached into his satchel and pulled out a dull gray key. “It’s an old key that’s been sealed in the museum vault for at least a hundred years. It’s a little rusty, but still beautiful.”

“Thanks Gunther.” I replied, having no idea what I was going to do with it. Maybe I’ll figure out something tomorrow when winter begins. I placed the key in my wallet.

Gunther again made his farewells and went to return to the library and museum so he could open them on time. And that was my last interaction with the town for autumn.

After he left, I harvested the last of my crops, stored some of the food and seeds for winter, and placed the rest in my storage bin to sell. Then, I went all over the farm, cutting down tall grass that spread all over the farm to collect hay for winter. With the completion of the second silo, I could store even more hay for my animals. I spent the duration of the afternoon with my scythe, cutting down grass and adding hay to the silos. I completely filled the first and partially filled the second. It would be more than enough for my four animals until spring; I could purchase a goat and/or a second cow this winter as well. Maybe some other animals if I budget my finances and hay well.

As the evening fell, I looked over a very barren farm. It was a little sad, but I knew it was for the better. It is easier to have cleaned the farm today rather than tomorrow when snow is already predicted in the weather forecast, and already I was feeling a need for more logs to stoke the fireplace. There was no stopping the cold.

Mom and Dad called. We talked about the harvest and holiday plans, particularly for Feast of the Winter Star. It’s amazing that not even a year ago I was working at Joja Co. Leaving that place was perhaps the best decision I have made in my entire life. I feel so much happier here. Now I hope that that optimism, my planning, preparation, and savings will be enough to carry me through the winter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did it. I finally finished this season. And a year after I started publishing this madness.  
> I have a rough outline plan for Winter; however, I think that will stay in the WIP pile for now. I have a couple other ideas I want to work on, and perhaps someday when I get more days done, I will then work on another season.  
> For those of you who have read this far, wow. Thanks. I am still surprised that this tale of a generic farmer running though the game we already know and love, has been so well received. Especially without a love interest. (Yet? That is to be determined approximately Summer Year 2 of Farmer Taylor's life.)  
> Until then, have a happy life!


End file.
